A Nigerian man, Lekan Akinsoji (27) and his accomplice, Sundjata Keita (27), both of Forest Gate, east London, have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Ahmed Deen‑Jah, aged 21. (Vanguard News)
According to court proceedings at the Old Bailey, Akinsoji will serve a minimum of 28 years before being eligible for parole, while Keita’s minimum term is 22 years. (Vanguard News)
The incident took place on 2 April 2017, when the victim was chased into a convenience store near Custom House station in Newham, east London, and stabbed in the heart, just metres from his home. (Vanguard News)
The prosecution described the attack as pre-meditated: the pair had dressed in black, worn balaclavas and gloves, and carried out a “gang ride-out” prior to the killing. (Vanguard News)
Ten days prior to the murder, Akinsoji appeared in a music video entitled “Armed and Ready”, in which he boasted: “No face, no case, no evvy (evidence).” (Forres Gazette)
In his victim impact statement, Ahmed’s father, Abubakar Jah (who migrated from Sierra Leone in 1995), said:
“Four years after this, having had no justice in Ahmed’s case, my younger son Junior was also murdered in April 2021… Losing both of my sons has caused the most unbearable hurt and pain.” (Vanguard News)
