24-Year-Old UK-Based Nigerian Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
- 24-Year-old Chukwuemeka Ahanonu has been sentenced to life for murdering Nila Patel in Leicester, United Kingdom
- Ahanonu, a Nigerian national, crashed his car and attacked 56-year-old Patel while under cannab1s influence
- Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Emma Matts, commended the public for aiding in the victim's rescue and securing justice for the deceased
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
Leicester, United Kingdom - A Leicester Crown Court in the United Kingdom has sentenced a Nigerian national, Chukwuemeka Ahanonu, to life imprisonment for murder.
24-Year-old Ahanonu attacked and killed a 56-year-old woman, Nila Patel, on a street in Leicester, after crashing his car while under the influence of cannab1s.
Source: Twitter
As reported by The Punch, the Leicestershire Police said the Nigerian assaulted the deceased on June 24, 2025, along Infirmary Road.
The Nigerian man was found guilty by a jury on Monday, March 23, 2026, and sentenced on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.
The police said Ahanonu had been driving dangerously around the city centre before the tragic incident.
He fled the scene and attacked Patel, who had just alighted from a bus and was walking home.
The police discovered the Nigerian man had been smoking cannab1s at the time of his arrest.
Dealer bags of the substance valued at over £3,000 and three iPhones were also recovered from his car.
According to the police report, Ahanonu had earlier pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and possession of cannab1s with intent to supply. He also assaulted an emergency worker after biting a female police officer.
Security personnel from the nearby Leicester Royal Infirmary restrained him until officers arrived, while medical staff treated Patel for severe injuries, including a fractured skull and brain trauma.
She died two days later, prompting his re-arrest on suspicion of murder on June 26, 2025.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Emma Matts, said the CCTV footage of the Nigerian driving before the crash was “frightening and disturbing.”
“Ahanonu was unknown to the victim. She was simply walking home when she was subjected to this brutal assault.”
Matts also commended members of the public for their swift actions in restraining Ahanonu and assisting Patel.
She added that their actions were crucial in securing justice for the victim.
Source: Getty Images
Four UK-based Nigerians, others jailed for 55 years
Recall that a phone-robbery syndicate terrorising the London metropolis was sentenced to a combined jail term of 55 years.
Four Nigerians were part of a phone-robbery syndicate jailed by a Kingston Crown Court in the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom Metropolitan Police narrated how the suspects were arrested in a statement.
UK: Nigerian student sentenced to 10 years imprisonment
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Nigerian postgraduate student, Chiemka Okoronta, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in the United Kingdom.
29-year-old Okonrota defiled a stranded 17-year-old girl bus passenger in West Yorkshire on March 25, 2025.
Prosecutor Graham O'Sullivan of the Bradford Crown Court narrated how the Nigerian postgraduate student committed the crime.
Source: Legit.ng
