Six killers jailed combined 167 years over ruthless London execution of Janayo

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Justice caught up with six young men on Friday as the Old Bailey handed down a combined 167 years in prison for the cold-blooded murder of 21-year-old Janayo Lucima, who was executed on his doorstep in West Kensington.

The convicts, five men and a teenage boy, were found guilty after what prosecutors described as a “planned and organised execution” linked to a drugs dispute.

The fatal shot was fired on 1 April 2024, when Janayo answered a phone call and stepped outside his house, only to be struck down by a single bullet that ended his life instantly.

Despite desperate attempts by several of the killers to escape abroad, the Metropolitan Police mounted a relentless manhunt, tracking some across borders and hauling them back to face justice.

CCTV evidence presented in court showed how the gang meticulously orchestrated the killing. Two of them, Mohammed Mansaray and Khuder Al-Kurdi, were central to the night’s events.

Mansaray, seen flashing the handgun to his peers, waited outside Janayo’s home, rehearsing the raise of the weapon. At the same time, Al-Kurdi tricked Janayo into believing he was arranging a drug deal and then relayed the address to his co-conspirators.

Within seconds of Al-Kurdi’s call, Janayo stepped outside and was ruthlessly shot by Mansaray. The group fled, discarding knives that were later forensically linked back to them.

In the days that followed, five of the six killers fled the country. Two ringleaders were captured in Glasgow, another was extradited from Spain, while two more were arrested after returning from Morocco. The painstaking international pursuit, driven by CCTV and forensic breakthroughs, culminated in their capture and eventual conviction.

The sentences handed down at the Old Bailey were stark. Al-Kurdi received life with a minimum term of 33 years, while Muktar Said was given life with at least 29 years.

Mansaray, just 18, was jailed for life with a minimum of 27 years. A 17-year-old boy extradited from Spain will serve a minimum of 22 years, while Issa Siteri was handed 28 years and Yusuf Muhudin Abdi 28 and a half years.

A seventh man and another teenage boy will face a retrial in 2026 after the jury could not reach a verdict in their cases.

In a victim impact statement, Janayo’s mother, Winifred Ayo, poured out her grief, describing the irreplaceable void left by her son’s death.

She said she missed his hugs, his smell, his laugh, and his perfect smile. She spoke of how her son had taught his parents to see the world with fresh eyes and to love deeply, only to be snatched away by what she described as “self-centred young men, steeped in urban sub-culture of violence.”

She said the loss and pain would never heal, and while no sentence could bring her son back, she still longed for the reason why they went to such lengths to kill him.

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, who led the investigation, described the killing as a senseless act of ruthless violence.

He said this was not a random murder, but a meticulously planned execution, with each defendant playing a role and all sharing responsibility.

He praised Janayo’s family for their courage in attending every day of the trial, listening to each harrowing detail, and maintaining dignity throughout.