A drill rapper has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the fatal stabbing of a rival gang member in East London eight years prior.

Lekan Akinsoji and his accomplice Sundjata Keita, both 27 years old and residents of Forest Gate, were convicted of killing 21-year-old Ahmed Deen-Jah.

On April 2, 2017, Mr. Deen-Jah was pursued into a convenience store and attacked with a knife close to Custom House station.

During Akinsoji and Keita’s sentencing at the Old Bailey on Friday, Mr. Deen-Jah’s family shared their anguish, noting that they were also mourning the loss of his younger brother Junior, who was murdered in 2021.

Abubakar Jah, their father, recounted his move from Sierra Leone to the UK in 1995 in search of a better future, only to see that hope crushed by the murder of his eldest son.

He remarked, “Four years later, after experiencing no justice for Ahmed, my younger son Junior was also killed in April 2021, in close proximity to where Ahmed lost his life.”

He explained that Ahmed had merely “stepped out to the shop” when he was hunted down and killed in an exceptionally brutal manner.

Two individuals were convicted in 2024 for Junior’s murder, but at that time, Mr. Jah expressed doubt about attaining justice for Ahmed.

He stated that the loss of both sons has brought “unbearable hurt and pain to me and my family. It is beyond words.”

Their mother, Hawa Deen Conteh, noted that the family had been irrevocably altered by the “senseless act of violence” that led to Mr. Deen-Jah’s demise.

Having attended the trials for both murders, she described the grief as “indescribable.”

She added, “As we seek justice, we hope the court acknowledges the depth of our loss and the lasting impact this tragedy has wrought on our family.”

“We wish that no other family would have to endure the heartache and suffering we have faced.”

Judge Anthony Leonard KC sentenced both men to life imprisonment, establishing a minimum of 28 years for Akinsoji and 22 years for Keita.

Earlier, jurors heard details of how the attackers, dressed in black attire, balaclavas, and gloves, carried out the “gang ride-out” assault, exiting a stolen black Mercedes and chasing their victim, who sought refuge in BJ Wines off-licence.

In a struggle, Mr. Deen-Jah was fatally injured in the heart by Akinsoji, who then fled with Keita.

An ambulance was summoned, but Mr. Deen-Jah, known on the streets as Grinna, was pronounced dead at the scene, a mere 426 feet (130 meters) from his residence.

Prosecutor Anthony Orchard KC informed jurors that “this act of murder was not a spontaneous event, but rather a planned assault stemming from ongoing street violence between two gangs in East London.”

“Those in the black Mercedes were on a ‘ride-out’—driving into an opposing gang’s territory to find rivals or those they believed to be associated with the enemy gang for an attack.”

Just ten days before the murder, Akinsoji had appeared in a video titled Armed And Ready, discussing his strategies to evade capture, saying, “No face, no case, no evvy (evidence).”

Mr. Deen-Jah was connected to the Custom House gang, while Akinsoji acknowledged his affiliation with the Woodgrange gang, a claim that Keita denied.

Keita chose not to provide testimony during the trial at the Old Bailey.