Two guilty of killing man who appeared in BBC knife crime film

Abiola Akerel featured in the 2007 documentary On A Knife Edge

Two men have been found guilty of killing a furloughed travel agent who once featured in a BBC Panorama documentary about knife crime.

Abiola Akerele, 28, who was also a rapper known as Nayta, was stabbed to death on grass outside his home in East Ham, east London, in December 2020.

Junaid Sulaiman, 22, and Rayhan Ali, 19, from east London, were cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter, at the Old Bailey.

Two other defendants were cleared.

Saeed Farouk, 23, from east London, and Harry Ehibor, 21, from Camden, were cleared of all charges.

It can now be reported that Mr Akerele featured in the BBC Panorama gang violence documentary, On A Knife Edge, when he was a teenager in 2007.

In the film, his mother Bim spoke of her fears for her sons and Mr Akerele described witnessing the build-up to one killing.

He told Jeremy Vine: "Don't wanna get myself in, cos once you're in it's hard to get out. When you join a clique, you gain their enemies as well."

Mr Akerel was interviewed by Jeremy Vine

During the trial, prosecutor Alexandra Healy QC told how the defendants' group had gone to the victim's home, having arranged to buy cannabis.

There was a commotion and shouts as hooded males with their faces covered, kicked, punched and stabbed the victim as he crouched down to protect himself, jurors heard.

A 12-year-old witness described the victim as being "kicked like a football", about four or five times.

Another witness heard the words: "You really got him."

Self-defence claim

Mr Akerel was helped inside by his girlfriend but died at the scene. A post-mortem examination found he had been stabbed in the chest and neck.

A lock-knife with the victim's blood on it was recovered nearby.

Jurors were told the defendants admitted being involved in an altercation with Mr Akerele but they claimed to have acted in self-defence after he produced a knife.

He had been working in a travel agency but during the pandemic he was furloughed and then made redundant.

Jurors heard he was worried about getting paid and was desperate to remain in his home with his studio and spoke to a friend about selling cannabis to make ends meet.

When police searched his home they uncovered weighing scales and bags of cannabis.

Sulaiman and Ali were remanded into custody for a report to be prepared ahead of sentencing in September.