Junaid Sulaiman (left) and Rayhan Yasin Ali

Jailed for fatal stabbing of 28-year-old

Two men who were involved in the fatal stabbing of 28-year-old Abiola Akerele have been found not guilty of

murder but guilty of manslaughter.

20-year-old Rayhan Yasin Ali of East Ham and 22-year-old Junaid Sulaiman of Prince Regent Lane, Newham were jailed following the conclusion of a trial at the Old Bailey.

Sulaiman was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment with an extended licence period of two years.

Ali was sentenced to four years in a young offenders' institution, with an extended licence period of two years.

In her victim impact statement, Abiola's mother - Abimbola Akerele, said: "Abiola did not deserve what happened to him, no one does.

"I want you (the defendants) to know the consequences of your actions that day; you have altered my life, all our lives. You have caused us so much pain and sorrow. The day you took Abi’s life, you took a huge part of mine and you took five others. Myself, his dad, and

his three brothers. Words cannot describe how your actions on that faithful (sic) day have impacted us. You have cut us deep.”

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Whellams, who led the investigation, said: "Sulaiman and Ali will now spend a long period of their young, adult lives in prison. While this in no way can compensate Abiola’s family and friends for their loss, I do hope it gives them some sense that justice has been served.

“The death of Abiola Akerele is another example of the futility of carrying knives and the disastrous consequences of what can happen when violence escalates."

The court heard Ali and Sulaiman had met on the 29 December 2020 with the intent of meeting Abiola Akerele at his address in Stondon Walk, East Ham.

Shortly after 15:00hrs, one of the defendants phoned Abiola and arranged to attend his address. A short while later, the defendants arrived and Abiola went outside. Once outside, an altercation occurred which led to a knife being produced.

In the ensuing fight, Abiola was overpowered and subjected to a savage attack in which he was stabbed.

After the attack, the suspects fled the scene on foot while Abiola was helped back inside his house. Despite the best efforts of paramedics who had been called to the scene, Abiola died around an hour after the attack.

Detectives launched an investigation and immediately began to piece together the events of that afternoon.

CCTV analysis proved key – while it didn’t capture the fatal incident, it showed the suspects arriving at, and fleeing the scene.

Detectives identified the suspects and made arrests and phone examination further revealed their movements.

Officers recovered various items of clothing from the suspects that matched those worn by the attackers. Abiola’s blood was also found on a trainer and jogging bottoms seized from Ali.