Three Locals Jailed for Killing Janayo Lucima

Among six sentenced for their part in West Kensington execution

Al-Kurdi of Fulham Palace Road (left) and Muktar Said of Franklin Square (right) received lengthy prison terms for murder. Picture: Met Police

September 5, 2025

Three people living in the Fulham and West Kensington area have received lengthy sentences for their part in the killing of Janayo Lucima in last year.

23-year-old Khuder Al-Kurdi of Fulham Palace Road, who the trial revealed was the main instigator of the killing received life imprisonment with a minimum term of 33 years. Muktar Said, 24, of Franklin Square in West Kensington got life imprisonment with a minimum term of 29 years and a 17-year-old boy from Fulham, who cannot be named because of his age, received life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years. They were told their sentences along with three others from different parts of London who got minimum terms ranging from 27 to 28.5 years.

Following a trial at the Old Bailey, the six individuals were convicted of murder and sentenced on Friday 5 September to a combined total of 167 years in prison

A retrial is scheduled for 2026 for two additional individuals after the jury failed to reach a verdict.

21-year-old Janayo was shot dead on his door step in April 2024, in what was described in court as a “planned and organised execution,” believed to be linked to a drug-related dispute.

The court heard that the group meticulously coordinated the attack, with Al-Kurdi playing a central role in locating the victim. While at home, he contacted Janayo under the pretence of arranging a drug deal, then passed the address to five others gathered on Fabian Road in Fulham. CCTV footage captured the group changing clothes and concealing weapons before heading to Comeragh Road, where Janayo lived.

Mohammed Mansaray, 18, from Dollis Hill, was seen practising with the handgun outside the property. Less than a minute after Al-Kurdi phoned Janayo, the victim stepped outside and was fatally shot.

The group fled the scene, discarding weapons including knives that were later forensically linked to several defendants. Five of the six attempted to leave the country in the days following the murder. Mansaray and Said were arrested in Glasgow, while the youth from Fulham was extradited from Spain. Two others returned from Morocco and were arrested upon arrival.

In her victim impact statement, Janayo’s mother, Winifred Ayo, said, “I miss my son and think about him all the time. I miss his hugs. I miss his smell. I miss his laughs. I miss his perfect smile.

“Janayo taught his Dad and I to look at the world afresh, from a child’s point of view, to love and care deeply for another person... Janayo was full of dreams.

“But he was heartlessly taken away from us by a group of self-centred young men, steeped in urban sub-culture of violence, with complete disregard for the worth of human life... I will never be at peace and will always keep searching for the real reason.”

Left: Police on Comeragh Road after the shooting. Right: Janayo Lucima. Picture: BBC/Met Police

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, who led the investigation, said, “Our thoughts are with Janayo’s family, who have all been deeply affected by the senseless violence that night...

“We still don’t know the exact reasons as to why Janayo was killed, but this was not a random killing. The defendants planned their actions meticulously and came with murderous intent...

“I want this to be a reminder that with joint participation comes joint responsibility.”