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OBS: Two Nigerians Who Murdered Ghanaian Teenager ‘Son Of Sports Broadcaster Kwaku Ofosu Asare’ Sentenced To Life

 

Nathaniel Okusanya court caseThis is the horrifying moment gangsters chased and killed an innocent 17-year-old student after mistaking him for a rival gang member.

CCTV footage shows victim Kwame Ofosu-Asare who was ‘in the wrong place at the wrong time’ running away from Nelson Idiabeta, then 17, and Nathaniel Okusanya, then 18.

Moments after the teenagers were captured running after him and a friend, Kwame was stabbed 14 times in the back in a ‘cowardly and merciless’ murder.

The 17-year-old was mistaken for a rival in a ‘poisonous and senseless’ gang war, a court heard today as Idiabeta and Okusanya were jailed for life.

The pair were members of the TN1 gang – Trust No One – out to avenge one of their numbers who was stabbed by a rival gang member from the GAS gang – Guns and Shanks – just hours earlier.

His killers had toured housing estates in Brixton to find rival gang members and came upon the 17-year-old son of a sports broadcast journalist and his friend, who had nothing to do with any gangs.

Kwame and his friend with a ‘sixth sense’ ran away into a cul de sac where his friend’s aunt lived in a desperate attempt to get to safety – but she was not at home.

His friend managed to jump over a wall but Kwame was trapped and then killed on March 2 of this year.

He shouted out he was from Catford and pleaded ‘I’m not from round here, I’m not from round here’ but he was murdered by the pair who had persuaded a shopper to buy them at least one substantial kitchen knife just hours before the attack.

After an Old Bailey jury found the pair guilty Nelson Idiabeta, now 18 was jailed for a minimum of 19 years while Nathaniel Okusanya, 19, was jailed for 20 years.

Sentencing Judge Richard Marks QC said: ‘I am entirely satisfied having heard the evidence the background to this terrible offence is to be found in revenge between two gangs.

‘Around 1.15pm Garfield Stewart a member of TN1 gang was stabbed 28 times while sat in a bus while it was stationary at West Norwood.

‘It’s clear from the evidence a very short time from that stabbing you found out about it and decided this stabbing needed to be avenged.

‘Your purpose was to carry out an attack on a GAS gang member and anyone you believed to be so.

‘You encountered two boys Kwame and his friend by reason of they only being on the Moreland Estate.

‘You believed them to be GAS gang members, they were not and have no connection whatsoever with this gang.’

He said Kwame’s friend managed to escape but Kwame ‘was not so fortunate’.

‘He was heard to shout “I’m from Catford” saying to you he was in effect not from around there and had no reason to be chased. It was to no avail.

‘He was violently attacked suffering 14 stab wounds, three of which penetrated his lungs and one his liver.

‘It would have been abundantly obvious to you he was gravely injured but you ran off thinking only of your escape.’

He added: ‘It was Kwame’s misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.’

But Judge Marks added Idiabeta, who was on bail at the time for robbery, and Okusanya ‘have shown no an iota of remorse.’

Crispin Aylett QC, prosecuting, told jurors: ‘Kwame’s death was but a part of a poisonous and senseless feud between two rival gangs of youths in south London.’

Judge Marks said Kwame’s father, a sports presenter in Ghana, described his son as ‘vibrant, energetic, enthusiastic and promising boy.’

The father, in a statement read to the court, added: ‘Hours before his horrendous death he had gone to the studio to record a track which he dedicated to his mother.

‘The sudden and tragic death of Kwame has deprived us of a brother, son and friend.

‘He is ever present in our minds. The damage Kwame’s death has caused the family is irreparable. Our lives have been ruined and will never be the same again.’

He was in the sixth-form of Forest Hill School, had moved from Ghana to London in 2002, and excelled in sport, music and acting and had great ambitions to make something of his life.

Idiabeta, who was living at a bail hostel in Camberwell, had been in youth court on the morning Kwame was stabbed for breaching his bail conditions for robbery but the prosecution could not find his file so the case was adjourned for a week.

That day their friend Stewart was stabbed on the top deck of a bus in West Norwood.

CCTV cameras recorded them travelling to see him at King’s College Hospital before heading to a shopping centre in Camberwell to buy a knife from a Bargain Express.

When the shopkeeper refused to sell them the weapon without seeing a passport or driving licence they asked a stranger to help, claiming one of their mothers needed it for cooking.

The pair then got a taxi driver to take them to Brixton and drop them off at the edge of the Moorlands Estate at 5.30pm.

At that time Kwame, who lived in Catford, happened to be walking through the estate with one of his friends after leaving the recording studio.

Garfield Stewart whose knifing prompted the murder had been wearing a T-shirt which bore the slogan ‘RIP Little Zac’ – a reference to Zac Olumegbon murdered eight months earlier in July 2011.

Okusanya had worn a similar t-shirt in a You Tube video posted online which was entitled “Death Keeps Calling” and paid homage to Olumegbon.

Jurors heard Okusanya was close friends with Zac Olumegbon and starred in ‘Death Keeps Calling.’

When police searched his home they found photos of three other murder victims – Abukar Mahamood, who was shot dead aged 16 in 2007; Sadiq Adebeyi, 25, who was shot dead in May 2011; and Nana Darko-Frimpong, 16, who was shot dead in June 2011.

Okusanya told police they were all his friends and added: ‘Stabbings happen everywhere… it’s how life is now. Everyone gets stabbed, everyone gets shot. Everyone dies, everyone goes to jail, that’s how life is. In a typical black area, people get stabbed, people get shot, people die.’

Kwame Ofosu-Asare’s uncle said today that the killers should serve the rest of their lives behind bars to set an example to other gang members intent on violence.

Alexander Asare-Ansah said no-body was safe until the message got across.

Speaking outside the Old Bailey he called for a tougher crack down on gangs and their members as his nephew and his friend were innocently in the area to use a recording studio and were attacked for no other reason.

He said: ‘Something has to be done. As my brother said you don’t need a visa to go to that area. They just went there for a purpose. It may happen to other people. Nobody is safe.

‘All we say is life should be life for them. If not they will come out and do it again. Life should be life so it sets and example for all the other people.’

Detective Chief Inspector John McFarlane said: ‘Kwame was an entirely innocent young man with a bright future in front of him.

‘He was selected at random, just because he was walking through an estate deemed to be enemy territory by these two violent gang members.’

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11 thoughts on “OBS: Two Nigerians Who Murdered Ghanaian Teenager ‘Son Of Sports Broadcaster Kwaku Ofosu Asare’ Sentenced To Life”

  1. I read this article somewhere yesterday. Very sad story. It was just a horrible way for such an innocent person to exit. These boys who murdered Kwame are so lost indeed for believing that life is about stabbing, shooting, robbing, and being killed. They need our prayers because they are honestly lost. Kwame had such a bright future ahead, but unfortunately evil didn’t let him accomplish his dreams. I know he is resting with God.

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  2. These Nigerians Savage monkeys killing each other innocent people all in the cause of their ‘turf wars’. I followed this story and it was really sad saw he was at the wrong place wrong time both nigerian boys saw his face while he was running away and new he was not part if the gang yet the style went and kill him, most painful part is that they didn’t even regret what they did I believe it’s time they do something about this gun and knife crime young and innocent children are dying of this even if they both get 20 years that’s like holidays for them they will end up with play station LCD screens etc living a normal life in jail he was a smart, intelligent boy with a bright future 

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  3. …..These boys are of Nigerian heritage and are BRITISH. Anyone who’s lived in South London/  East London knows a thing or two about GANG CULTURE AND black on black violence, its a very sad thing that happened here. I grew up as a Nigerian teenager in the UK and worst comes to worst, its punch ups and brawls. These days its knives and guns…..
    It affects all of us whether Nigerian, Ghanaian, Ugandan, Cameroonian, Caribbean and shouldn’t be mad into a “Ghana versus Nigeria” issue. I know Nigerians that where stabbed to death, and there’s been countless cases…Damilola Taylor etc. We all need to stick together and proffer solutions.

    Reply
    • @Kevin E,I agree with your comment I used to live in south London myself before moving to Kent and I have to say that I witness allot if things in that short period I used to live there and that was one if the reason I moved out from there. And purchase a house in Kent the fact that we need to stick together and do something about it is a good idea but where do we start from remember people always blame their parents we got so many organisation and councils doing something about it but are they doing enough I am you mention Damilola Taylor his case was really sad you g boy like that got stabbed with a broken bottle that should have woken allot of people up but it’s seems like they don’t care especially the government a year a go I was at work and went on break and thought like let me go to Oxford street and get some trainers for fitness soon as I reach there bought the trainers that I wanted and walked out of the shop and went into Selfridges and on my way there was police everywhere and was thinking like what is going on again not knowing that someone got stabbed in front of footlocker when a fight broke out between two rival gangs people should have woken up the time with Steven Lawrence case and Damilola case but it seems like no one is ready to put their knife and guns down 

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  4. Finally thank God these boys of nowadays an innocent soul with great prospects taken for no reason. God help ur children parents lock ur kids up in their rooms and educate them pls

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  5. oooh wow! am juss speechless, The judge should’ve sentence all of them for life. They took a human been life for heaven sake, and the judge sentenced them 19 & 20 years in jail? who know who that inocient guy could”ve become in future. These idiots that call themselves “Ganster” juss had to take his life without any regrat. SMH…..

    Reply
    • @foxy,
      As much as i agree that they should be kept in prison for life….the law cannot allow that cuz there is some sort of belief that people will change their ways in time and considering the boys were no more than 20 yrs of age, that was probably a huge mitigating factor when sentencing…..ON THE PLUS SIDE,19-20 yrs in jail is quite a long time…it means they won’t be out until they are both in their 30s  and, hopefully, they will have regretted their actions by then

      Reply
  6. Hmmm this is very sad, may he rest in peace, a friend of mine’s brother was also killed in hackney, he was also chased n stabbed for no reason.

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  7. hmmmm….its sad, after giving birth n taking care of him for 17 good years, someone comes along n in a few minutes puts ur efforts to waste….but even hurts more to know that a child of de same age did that….what happened? were did their parents go wrong? it hurts that dis kids think did is evident n doesnt matter how u die…

    Two wrongs never makes right…must u kill becos a friend was killed? they culd hve had a better chance to great n fulfilled life if they understood betta de meaning of life..

    May God help them n may the young man stabbed rest in peace in de bossom of de almighty….Am so very sad …!!!

    Reply
  8. I WISH I UNDERSTAND THIS,BUT SOMETIMES ALL I GET TO BELIEVE IS,THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A HAPPY ENDING. MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN PEACE DEAR BOY AND MAY THE MURDERERS LIVE TO KNOW THERE’S MORE TO LIFE THAN VIOLENCE

    Reply

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