Nigerian man, accomplice sentenced to life for 2017 murder in East London
A United Kingdom court has sentenced two 27-year-old men, Lekan Akinsoji and Sundjata Keita, to life imprisonment for the murder of 21-year-old Ahmed Deen-Jah in east London.
The verdict came after a trial at the Old Bailey, where the pair were found guilty on October 9, 2025. On Friday, October 24, the judge handed Akinsoji a minimum term of 28 years and Keita 22 years before they can be considered for parole.
The killing occurred on April 2, 2017, when Deen-Jah was fatally stabbed in an unprovoked attack inside a convenience store near Custom House station, Newham. CCTV footage captured the moment a masked assailant chased and stabbed the victim shortly after he entered the shop.
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Although Akinsoji and Keita were initially arrested, they were released as investigations continued. A breakthrough came in 2023 after a forensic review uncovered DNA evidence linking both men to the crime scene. Phone records also placed Keita near the getaway car, which was later found burned in Epping Forest.
Prosecutors said the attack was part of gang-related “ride-out” violence, describing it as a targeted and brutal killing.
Detective Superintendent Kelly Allen, who led the investigation, said the verdict brought long-awaited justice to Deen-Jah’s family. “This was a cold-blooded and unprovoked attack. It has taken years, but forensic advances have finally exposed their guilt,” she said.
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Deen-Jah’s father, Abubakar Jah, said the family had endured immense pain, especially after losing his younger son, Junior, who was murdered in 2021. “Losing both of my sons has caused the most unbearable hurt and pain to me and my family,” he said.
His mother, Hawa Deen Conteh, described her son’s death as an act of “senseless violence” that forever changed their lives.
During the trial, prosecutors presented a video recorded 10 days before the killing, in which Akinsoji was seen rapping the lyrics, “No face, no case, no evvy (evidence).” They argued the clip revealed his intent and confidence in evading justice — a claim now undone by forensic science.
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