By Chibuzo Ihegboro
A Nigerian, Joshua Oladele, and two other men, Micah Hines and Ali Alamiri, have been handed life sentences for the murder of 25-year-old Hamza Iqbal in London, United Kingdom, according to multiple reports.
Hamza was said to have been stabbed 23 times in what was described as a revenge attack.
The incident occurred on September 24, 2023, when the victim, who was with friends, was ambushed by the trio wielding machetes.
The attackers were said to be acting on behalf of 28-year-old Dontae Smicle, who had been stabbed 11 days earlier.
Delivering a judgment on Wednesday, Snaresbrook Crown Court said Smicle believed to be the mastermind behind the attack has since fled the country.
It then sentenced the three men to life imprisonment.
Oladele was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 28 years, Hines received 25 years, and Alamiri was 24 years old.
Hamza’s heartbroken family described him as a devoted family man who was on his way to see an Arsenal game before meeting his death.
“Hamza was football crazy. He might not have been the best player, but his love for Arsenal was unmatched,” they added.
The court was told how the brutal attack stemmed from a gang rivalry.
Smicle, believing Hamza’s group was responsible for the earlier attack on him, spotted them that fateful evening and called Oladele, said to be a known drug runner since age 13, to exact revenge.
The three men, donning hoodies and balaclavas, were seen by an eyewitness psyching each other up before launching their deadly assault.
As Hamza and his friends tried to flee, Oladele chased Hamza down, stabbing him repeatedly even as he lay helpless on the ground. Hines then joined in, inflicting further wounds.
Honorary Recorder of Redbridge, Judge Rosa Dean, described the attack as a “punishment killing” and lamented the terror Hamza must have felt in his final moments.
Dean refused the attackers’ claims that they only intended to scare Hamza’s group under Smicle’s orders.
She remarked, “None of you have shown any remorse during the trial. Everything you’ve done has been to try to save yourselves and downplay your responsibility.
“While the plan may have been Smicle’s, you were all ready and willing to carry it out.”
