British Court jails four to life in jail for killing Nigerian gang member

Kelvin Chibueze

Britain’s “endemic” knife culture has once more taken the life of a Nigeria teenager and sent four young men among them Nigerians to jail.

In delivering judgement, a  British court judge, John Bevan, condemned what he  referred  to Britain’s “endemic” knife culture while jailing four members of the  Harts Lane street gang  for the killing of a rival gang member in a street brawl.

The victim Kelvin Chibueze, aged 17, was stabbed severally with a foot-long knife. He was affiliated to another gang -the notorious Dagenham Boys gang- and his street name was Boss Don Gramz.

The four;Dale William, 21, Lerone Boye, 25, Hugo Nwwanko, 18, and Roger Damali, 31, denied the  murder charges  brought against but were convicted after trial at the old Bailey.

A fifth  person Ibrahim Zakari, who threw a bottle at Kelvin during the chase earlier got a two-year jail sentence but was  set free because he had served more than a year in jail on remand.

Williams and Boye  were tagged the  ringleaders in the attack, while Nwankwo joined in the violence outside the club.They were all armed with long knives.

Williams got a life sentence, to serve a minimum of 26 years. He denied murder but admitted violent disorder.

Boye also got  life, with a minimum of 28 years.Partner in crime  Damali also got  jailed for life with a minimum of 23 years and Nwankwo, who was 16 at the time of the murder, was sentenced to 16 years in a young offenders  correctional institute.

Damali  told the court that he joined in the attack out of loyalty to others rather than any direct involvement.

Zakari was cleared of murder but convicted of violent disorder though he  denied both charges.

The Victim Kelvin Chibueze, ran out of a private party  venue in east London  after he was attacked in a mass brawl involving knives and bar stools.

As he tried to make good his escape  he tripped outside a supermarket and the rival gang members sat on his legs  to stop him running away before stabbing him repeatedly with a foot-long knife.

The brawl was caused by a conflict of interest over a girl.