A British court has sentenced two Nigerian men, Lekan Akinsoji and Sundjata Keita, both aged 27 and from Forest Gate, to life imprisonment for the murder of 21-year-old Ahmed Deen-Jah in east London.
Akinsoji, a drill rapper, was ordered to serve a minimum of 28 years, while his accomplice, Keita, will serve at least 22 years, following their conviction at the Old Bailey.
According to court proceedings, the attack took place on April 2, 2017, when the duo, dressed in black with balaclavas and gloves, embarked on what prosecutors described as a “gang ride-out.” The pair chased Deen-Jah into an off-licence near Custom House station, where Akinsoji stabbed him in the heart. The victim, known by his street name Grinna, was pronounced dead at the scene, only a few metres from his home.
Prosecutor Anthony Orchard KC told the court that the killing was “not a spontaneous act of violence, but a planned attack against a background of street rivalry between two east London gangs.”
It was revealed that just ten days before the incident, Akinsoji appeared in a music video titled “Armed and Ready,” in which he rapped: “No face, no case, no evvy (evidence).”
The victim’s father, Abubakar Jah, who emigrated from Sierra Leone to the UK in 1995, expressed devastation over the loss of his sons. “Four years after Ahmed’s murder, my younger son Junior was also murdered in April 2021. Losing both of my sons has caused the most unbearable hurt and pain,” he said.
Ahmed’s mother, Hawa Deen Conteh, described the attack as a “senseless act of violence” that permanently scarred the family. “We hope no other family has to experience the heartache and suffering that we have endured,” she added.
Keita declined to give evidence during the trial.
