A controversial TikTok lawyer, who is facing money laundering charges, has publicly pledged to stand with the disgraced former chief constable of West Midlands Police just hours after his resignation over a scandal involving Israeli football fans.
Public Support Amidst Scandal
Akhmed Yakoob, a Birmingham-based criminal lawyer and pro-Palestinian activist with over 217,000 TikTok followers, declared his support for Craig Guildford on Saturday. Guildford had finally stepped down on Friday after days of resisting mounting pressure, including from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who stated she had lost confidence in him.
In a video posted while wearing his trademark designer sunglasses, the 37-year-old aspiring politician described Guildford as "an honest individual" and claimed the Government should be "ashamed" for pressuring him to resign. Yakoob announced that a fundraising campaign, including a GoFundMe page, was being established by people in the West Midlands to support the former police chief "financially in anything he may need."
The Fabricated Evidence That Forced a Resignation
Guildford's resignation follows a damning report which revealed that evidence was fabricated and exaggerated by police officers to justify banning fans of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a Europa Conference League match against Aston Villa in Birmingham last November. The former police boss now faces a potential misconduct investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Yakoob's support for Guildford contrasts sharply with his own comments before the controversial match. In the days leading up to the game on 6 November 2023, Yakoob made several videos celebrating the fan ban as "good news." In one clip, filmed outside Villa Park while wearing an Aston Villa shirt, he proclaimed it was "game over for Maccabi Tel Aviv and Israel."
He urged viewers to unite and "send a clear message to the Israeli establishment," stating the match was an opportunity to protest against the conflict in Gaza. "We will not just remain silent when genocidal complicit [sic] come in and play football in our city," he said in another video.
A Colourful Figure in Law and Politics
Yakoob, a father-of-four born in Birmingham in 1988, is a prominent social media figure. His viral TikTok clips often highlight local issues like NHS waiting times, bus services, and unemployment, alongside his staunch pro-Palestinian views.
In 2024, he entered politics, finishing third in the West Midlands mayoral race and later standing as an independent against Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in the Birmingham Ladywood constituency, where he secured 12,137 votes.
However, his legal career is under a cloud. Akhmed Yakoob, of Perry Barr, Birmingham, is due to stand trial in 2027 on charges of money laundering, encouraging money laundering, and contravening customer due diligence measures. Accountant Nabeel Afzal, 38, of Edgbaston, faces the same charges.
Yakoob was also previously at the centre of a media controversy in July 2024 when he represented two brothers involved in a brawl with police at Manchester Airport, later stepping aside from the case.
