“Oh my word! Sheffield man, Abdi Ali, a wanted murderer, has been on the run for a whopping five years!”

What a shocking tale unfolds in The Star, Sheffield by Claire Lewis on Monday May 15, 2023. Abdi Ali, otherwise known by a plethora of aliases such as Mohammed Ismail, Black Johnny, Gulaid and Madman, hailing from Sheffield has been wanted by the authorities for almost half a decade. This individual is evidently connected to a heinous murder that took place in July 2018 and despite numerous entreaties from the relevant authorities, remains fugitive.

The victim in question is 47-year-old Shaun Lyall, who was barbarously tortured and batterd to death in his own home in Cleethorpes. The perpetrator, Craig Whittle, was found guilty and locked up for life but the jury were informed that he did not complete this terrible deed on his own. Sheffield’s Abdi Ali was also directly implicated in the killing and is deemed by police a “significant suspect”.

Originally from Somalia, Ali was brought up in Sheffield but relocated eastwards during the hot summer of 2018. This invidual is believed to have crucial knowledge of Mr Lyall’s murder but has thus far refused to co-operate with the police.

Ali has been spotted in the Shirecliffe and Pitsmoor areas of Sheffield and is known to associate with the Somali community in various other locations around the UK. These other places include but are not limited to: London, Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Lincolnshire and Cleveland.

Sadly, Mr Lyall’s demise came about due to missing drugs and cash which he had been entrusted to take care of. The weapon used by Ali (and his accomplice) remained diverse, ranging from golf clubs to scissors, screwdrivers to knives and even a length of wood.

Ali’s photograph has been shared regularly on a Facebook group run by Mr Lyall’s family who are desperately hoping someone may help identify his whereabouts. Pictures of Ali, plus one of his distinctive gold front tooth have been circulated by Humberside Police.

Anyone with potential information should make contact with Humberside Police on 101, quoting incident number 517 of July 17. Alternatively, information can be given anonymously via Crimestoppers by telephoning 0800 555111.