Police make fresh appeal five years on from Moss Side shooting
Cheriff Tall and Abayome Ajose were both killed during the early hours of Sunday 21 June 2020, in a car park off Caythorpe Street, Moss Side
Last updated 21st Jun 2025
Today marks five years since two men sadly lost their lives in a double shooting in Moss Side as specialist officers from Greater Manchester Police remain committed and continue to seek justice for their families.
Cheriff Tall, who was 21 at the time, and Abayome (Junior) Ajose, who was 36, were both killed in the shooting during the early hours of Sunday 21 June 2020, in a car park off Caythorpe Street, Moss Side.
Police believe their current suspect is from Birmingham.
GMP would also now like to appeal for any witnesses who may know or have seen someone who was wearing a black Icon cap with a white logo, and a white Nike Air T-shirt with a small black logo over the left side of the chest portion.
Over the years this investigation has seen several warrants carried out which has also led to several people being questioned in custody and the seizure of mobile phones for forensic analysis.
As GMP remain committed to investigating the murders, they do know that key answers still lie within the community through witnesses as it is estimated that 300-400 people were present in the car park that night. The investigation team believes that some of those present would be able to provide crucial eyewitness accounts.
A £50,000 reward remains available for key information that leads to the discovery and conviction of the killer of Cheriff and Junior.
Detective Chief Inspector and Senior Investigating Officer, Neil Higginson, from our Major Incident Team, said: “This year marks five years since Cheriff and Junior went out to a party but sadly, never returned home to their loved ones. Their families have been left devastated by their loss, and they deserve justice.
“We will never be able to bring back their beloved Cheriff and Junior, but we can see that their killer is brought to justice. We need members of the community to get in touch and help us with some key information.
“There were hundreds of people in the car park that night and we are sure that there are people who saw the incident, even if it was just part of it. However, there has been a reluctance for witnesses to come forward with information.
“I understand that people might be scared, and that is normal given what has happened but there is a range of measures that we can put in place to keep witnesses safe.
“Evidence can be given on video or behind a screen. It could also be that we could apply to the courts for the witness to be anonymous if there are grounds to do so.
“I’d just ask for you to come forward and we can have an honest chat about what we can do, as you don’t have to commit to giving a statement in the first instance.
“The person responsible for these murders we believe is from Birmingham. He is not a member of the local Moss Side community, and he should not be protected.
“Anyone who comes forward in this case is not a ‘grass’ for helping the police, they are simply doing what is right for two families who have had their loved ones taken from them in awful circumstances. No one deserves that.
“When we have worked together in the past, we have achieved great results and if we work together again, we can get justice for Cheriff and Junior. It’s not too late to do the right thing.”
Anyone with information, however small or insignificant it may seem, should contact GMP in confidence on 0161 856 2035, quoting incident number 221 of 21/06/20.
Alternatively, reports can be made in confidence to the independent charity, Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.
Information, including pictures and videos, can also be uploaded anonymously to the Major Incident Public Portal for ‘Operation Tarnbrook’ here.