Cheriff Tall and Junior Ajose: five women arrested over Manchester double murder probe

Officers from Greater Manchester Police travelled to Birmingham on Wednesday 27 October to carry out early morning warrants at five addresses across Handsworth, Birmingham and Stourbridge - with help from West Midlands Police and the National Crime Agency.

Five women - aged between 24 and 33 - were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and were taken to custody for questioning.

The warrants follow a year of investigations into the shootings of Cheriff Tall and Junior Ajose, who were killed in Moss Side in Manchester on 21 June 2020.

What have police said today?

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Wilkinson, of our Major Investigation Team, said: “The murder of these two men caused shockwaves throughout the Moss Side community which are still felt over a year on from the shooting, and the families have been left with many unanswered questions and no one to hold accountable for the death of their loved ones.

“Our detectives have been working continuously on this case for over a year, collecting all available evidence both forensically and from witnesses, and investigate all leads and possibilities thoroughly and exhaustively as we work to ensure that the individual responsible will face the full consequences of his actions.

“The families are always in the forefront of our minds, and I hope that these arrests today bring us a step closer to providing them with the justice they are rightly entitled to.

“Although we are hopeful that today’s arrests could play an important part in our investigation, it is essential that anyone who has any further information about the man responsible for this horrific crime comes forwards, as the more information we have, the closer we are to removing this criminal from the streets and ensuring he is no longer a danger to others in the community.”

• If you have any information, contact the police or the confidential hotline 0161 856 9908.