Two teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have been convicted of murder in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Chima Osuji. The harrowing incident occurred in Chingford, with detectives using meticulous forensic work, mobile phone data, and CCTV footage to establish the guilt of the two 16-year-old assailants.
Detective Chief Inspector Larry Smith, leading the Met’s homicide team, commented on the case, saying, “By methodically unpicking the events leading up to the attack on Chima, we could establish both teenagers conspired to carry out this cowardly assault.
The two teenagers, who had spent the evening together, took a minicab to Longshaw Road in Chingford. There, they armed themselves with knives and lay in wait, using parked vans as cover before ambushing Chima Osuji, who was unsuspecting and defenceless.
Within moments of the attack, the assailants fled the scene in the waiting cab, leaving Chima gravely injured on the pavement. The cab driver recalled the teenagers leaving in jubilation, a stark contrast to the tragic scene they had left behind.
Neither of the teenagers has provided a motive for the brutal assault, and from the evidence gathered, it is clear that this was not a chance encounter but a premeditated act of violence with devastating consequences.
The investigation began after a call to the police at around 21:20hrs on April 10, 2023, reporting Chima’s collapse on the pavement in Longshaw Road, suffering from stab injuries. Despite the efforts of police, paramedics, and members of the public who administered first aid, Chima tragically succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Detectives swiftly identified, through initial CCTV work, that two males had carried out the attack. Chima was in the company of another teenager at the time, who managed to escape unharmed and subsequently assisted the police in identifying one of the attackers.
A sword was discovered at the scene, which, while not used in the fatal injuries inflicted on Chima, did contain a fingerprint belonging to the other teenage assailant.
Both teenagers were apprehended within three days of the attack. Officers seized their phones and pieced together a timeline of events, indicating that Chima had been lured to the scene through a third party. The evidence also tracked the teenagers’ movements to and from the murder scene.
During police custody, both teenagers refused to answer any questions, but the substantial weight of evidence built against them led to murder charges.
The teenagers were tried at Snaresbrook Crown Court and were subsequently found guilty of murder on Monday, January 22. They are scheduled to be sentenced at the same court on Friday, March 1, where the court will determine the consequences of their heinous actions.
