Nigerian Man, Two Others Convicted Of Murdering Arsenal Fan In London

Joshua Oladele, Micah Hines, and Ali Alamiri were sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of Hamza Iqbal in London.

The trio was found guilty of stabbing Iqbal 23 times in a revenge attack on September 24, 2023.

The attack was believed to be orchestrated by Dontae Smicle, who had been stabbed 11 days earlier. Smicle is believed to have fled the country and remains at large.

Iqbal, a devoted family man, was ambushed by the attackers as he was heading to an Arsenal game.

His family expressed their deep sorrow and heartbreak over his tragic death.

Oladele was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 28 years, while Hines and Alamiri received 25 and 24 years, respectively.

“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.”