Deborah Akinyosoye
A Nigerian man, Lekan Akinsoji and accomplice Sundjata Keita, both 27 and from Forest Gate, have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the fatal stabbing of 21-year-old Ahmed Deen-Jah in east London.
Akinsoji, a drill rapper, will serve a minimum of 28 years, while his accomplice Keita will serve at least 22 years, following their conviction for murder at the Old Bailey.
The court heard that on 2 April 2017, the pair dressed in black with balaclavas and gloves, carried out a planned “gang ride-out” before chasing 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, just metres from his home.
Prosecutor Anthony Orchard KC said, “This killing was not a spontaneous act of violence, but an attack planned against a background of street violence between two east London gangs.”
Ten days before the murder, Akinsoji appeared in a video titled Armed and Ready, rapping: “No face, no case, no evvy (evidence).”
Deen-Jah’s father, Abubakar Jah, who moved to the UK from Sierra Leone in 1995, said his family had been shattered by the tragedy. “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,” he said.
His mother, Hawa Deen Conteh, said the family had been altered forever by the “senseless act of violence,” adding, “We hope no other family has to experience the heartache and suffering that we have endured.”
Keita declined to give evidence during the trial.