Two men jailed for manslaughter after deadly knife attack in East Ham
Ali and Sulaiman cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter
Rayhan Yasin Ali, 20, from Abbots Road, East Ham, and Junaid Sulaiman, 22, of Prince Regent Lane, Newham, were found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 19 July.
On Thursday, 9 March, Sulaiman was sentenced to nine years in prison, plus an extended two-year licence. Ali was sent to a young offenders’ institution for four years, with the same two-year extended licence period.
Victim’s family left broken by tragic loss
Abiola Akerele’s mother, Abimbola, shared a heartbreaking victim impact statement:
“Abiola did not deserve what happened to him, no one does. I want you to know the consequences of your actions that day — you have altered my life and all our lives. You caused us so much pain and sorrow. The day you took Abi’s life, you took a huge part of mine and the lives of his dad and three brothers. Words cannot describe how deeply your actions cut us.”
Knife violence leads to fatal stabbing
The court heard the chilling events unfolded on 29 December 2020. Ali and Sulaiman arranged to meet 28-year-old Abiola at his home in Stondon Walk, East Ham. Shortly after 3pm, one of the defendants called Abiola, who then stepped outside to meet them.
A fight broke out, during which a knife was pulled. Abiola was viciously overpowered and stabbed. The attackers fled on foot while Abiola was helped back inside his house.
Despite paramedics’ fast response, Abiola tragically died about an hour later.
Investigation uncovers damning evidence
Detective Chief Inspector Dave Whellams, who led the probe, said:
“Sulaiman and Ali will now spend a long part of their young lives in jail. While this can’t undo the loss for Abiola’s family, I hope it shows justice has been served. This case is a stark reminder of the deadly consequences of carrying knives and how violence can spiral out of control.”
Investigators pieced together the grim afternoon through CCTV footage showing the suspects arriving and fleeing the scene, though the attack itself was not captured. Phone records mapped their movements, and clothes seized from Ali matched those worn by the attackers.
Crucially, Abiola’s blood was found on a trainer and jogging bottoms taken from Ali.
