A Nigerian-born bodybuilder, Akinwale Arobieke—widely known as “Purple Aki”—has been found dead at his home in Liverpool at the age of 64.
Police discovered him at his residence on Devonshire Road, Toxteth, on the evening of Tuesday, August 26, after receiving reports of a man in his 60s lying unresponsive near Princes Park. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities confirmed that the death is not being treated as suspicious, and the case has been referred to the coroner.
Arobieke was a controversial figure in Merseyside, where he gained notoriety in the early 2000s. In 2003, he was sentenced to six years in prison for harassing 15 men, earning the reputation of a “modern-day bogeyman” in the local community
Arobieke often insisted he had been the target of a “modern-day witch hunt” by police, particularly after he lodged complaints against officers.
While serving time in prison, he was placed under a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which barred him from touching men’s muscles or entering gyms. In 2015, he was convicted of breaching the order after touching a young man’s muscles on a train from Manchester to North Wales. The following year, he successfully had the 10-year ban lifted after representing himself in court.
In 2022, Arobieke secured a significant financial settlement from Greater Manchester Police after suing the Chief Constable for malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office. He alleged that two officers had orchestrated a campaign against him, and the case was resolved just weeks before it was due to go to trial.
Confirming his death, a Merseyside Police spokesperson said:
“We can confirm that emergency services were in the Toxteth area following a non-suspicious death on Tuesday, 26 August. At around 8.30pm, officers were alerted to a man in his 60s who was found unresponsive at a property on Devonshire Road, Princes Park. He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. The death is not being treated as suspicious, and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”
