Three men, Joshua Oladele (believed to be Nigerian), Micah Hines, and Ali Alamiri, have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 25-year-old Hamza Iqbal in London, United Kingdom.
The Snaresbrook Crown Court described the attack as a “punishment killing” that occurred on September 24, 2023, when Hamza was stabbed 23 times in what was reported as a revenge attack.
The court was informed that the assailants, acting on behalf of 28-year-old Dontae Smicle—who had been stabbed 11 days earlier—ambushed Hamza and his friends with machetes. Judge Rosa Dean, Honorary Recorder of Redbridge, noted, “While the plan may have been Smicle’s, you were all ready and willing to carry it out,” and pointed out the attackers’ lack of remorse during the trial.
Oladele was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 28 years, Hines received 25 years, and Alamiri was handed 24 years. Smicle, believed to be the mastermind behind the attack, has since fled the country.
Hamza’s family described him as a devoted family man who was on his way to watch an Arsenal game before he was killed. They said, “Hamza was football crazy. He might not have been the best player, but his love for Arsenal was unmatched.”
The brutal attack was linked to gang rivalry, with Smicle suspecting Hamza’s group of being involved in his earlier assault. Oladele, reportedly a known drug runner since the age of 13, along with Hines and Alamiri, launched a deadly assault that left Hamza fatally wounded.
Judge Dean dismissed the attackers’ claims that they only intended to scare Hamza’s group, adding, “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,” He said.
