Nigerian-Born Emmanuel Popoola Convicted of Murder by UK Court
A UK court has convicted Nigerian-born Emmanuel Popoola and another 18-year-old, Tayvon Etefia, of the murder of teenager Keanu Harker following a gang-related dispute in Enfield, north London.
The verdict was delivered on Monday at the Central Criminal Court after prosecutors linked the fatal shooting to a long-running rivalry between the 3×3 gang and the Get Money Gang (GMG). The conflict reportedly escalated after an argument on Snapchat, where comments mocked Popoola for allegedly not having enough money to buy mobile data.
Prosecutor Louise Oakley told the court that Harker was riding his bicycle when the two defendants caught up with him and opened fire.
According to the prosecution, Harker fell from his bicycle after being shot but managed to crawl into the front garden of a nearby home before succumbing to his injuries. The attackers fled the scene immediately after the shooting.
The court heard that Popoola later attempted to flee the UK by boarding a one-way Eurostar train from London St Pancras to Paris. Prosecutors said he travelled with the assistance of his 18-year-old girlfriend, Anais King.
Investigators tracked Popoola after King travelled to Paris to meet him, leading French authorities to arrest him. Etefia was arrested separately after police boarded a Eurostar train and detained him minutes before its scheduled departure.
Three other defendants—identified as Mbaki, King and a 17-year-old boy—were convicted of perverting the course of justice for their roles in the case.
Popoola and Etefia were also found guilty of possessing a self-loading pistol with intent to endanger life.
The court is expected to sentence the two men on Thursday and Friday, while the remaining defendants will be sentenced at a later date.
In a statement read in court, Harker’s family said the conviction could not erase the pain of losing their loved one and called for stronger action against youth gang violence.
“We have been left with a lifetime of pain and loss that can never be undone. We hope this case opens people’s eyes to how damaging gang culture has become for young people,” the family said.
They added that too many young lives are being lost to gang violence and urged authorities and communities to act before more families experience similar tragedies.(Solakuti.com)
