Akinwale Arobieke, the North West man who became an urban legend after being banned from touching people’s muscles, has died at the age of 64.
Akinwale Arobieke, a controversial figure whose life was marked by legal battles, court orders, and media fascination, has died in Toxteth, Liverpool.
Merseyside Police confirmed that officers were called to a property on Devonshire Road in the Princes Park area at around 8.30pm on Tuesday 26 August, where Mr Arobieke was found unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His death is not being treated as suspicious and a file is being prepared for the coroner.
Born in Crumpsall, Greater Manchester, in 1961, Arobieke gained notoriety across Merseyside and beyond for a long-standing obsession with muscular young men. In 2003, he was jailed for six years after being convicted of harassing 15 men. His conduct led to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) in 2006, which prohibited him from touching, measuring, or asking to examine people’s muscles, and from encouraging public squat exercises.
Despite the order, he was repeatedly taken to court for alleged breaches, including an incident in 2015 in which he was found to have touched a young man’s muscles on a train between Manchester and North Wales. That conviction was later overturned following a successful appeal.
Mr Arobieke often maintained that he was the subject of a “witch hunt” by the police. In 2022, he received a substantial payout from Greater Manchester Police after suing the force for malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office. His civil claim alleged he was unfairly targeted by two GMP officers from 2012 onwards. The case was settled out of court just weeks before trial.
His legal team, James Murray Solicitors of Liverpool, supported his compensation bid, which ended in his favour. Mr Arobieke had previously successfully defended himself at a harassment trial in 2013.
His story gained widespread media attention and became a talking point on social media, leading to a reputation as an “urban myth” figure across the North West. Despite never being convicted of a sexual offence, the unusual nature of his case and the repeated court appearances kept him in the public eye for decades.
Merseyside Police said in a statement: “The man’s death is not suspicious, and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”
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