Teen who fled to Nigeria after London stabbing gets life jail

A 19-year-old Jackson Uwagboe, who fled to Nigeria after a fatal stabbing in Deptford, has been arrested upon his return to the UK and sentenced to life imprisonment at the Old Bailey, London.

A statement published on the Metropolitan Police website on Wednesday disclosed that Uwagboe, of Hamilton Street, Lewisham, was found guilty of the murder of 21-year-old Robert Robinson, as well as robbery and possession of a bladed article.

According to the report, a judge ruled on Wednesday that Uwagboe must serve a minimum of 21 years behind bars before becoming eligible for release.

The statement partly read, “It follows an extensive investigation that saw Met Police homicide detectives piece together hundreds of hours of CCTV, phone records, bank account details and DNA to secure justice for the victim’s family.

“Jackson Uwagboe, 19 (08.08.2006), of Hamilton Street, Lewisham, was found guilty at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 10 February of murdering 21-year-old Robert Robinson in a dispute over a stolen bicycle. He was also convicted of robbery and possession of a bladed article.”

According to the report,18-year-old Ryan Wedderburn and 19-year-old Kirk Harris were also convicted of Robert’s murder at the Old Bailey in May last year.

They reportedly received life sentences and were ordered to serve minimum terms of 23 years and 22 years and nine months, respectively.

A co-defendant, 24-year-old Eromosele Omoluogbe, was also convicted earlier this month of perverting the course of justice.

He was reported to have booked Uwagboe a plane ticket for Nigeria and driven him to Heathrow airport. He will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on a date to be fixed.

According to the statement, the violence began on Thursday, 6 June 2024, after the police were called to reports of a stabbing in Carteret Way, Deptford.

“Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended, but despite their best efforts, the victim, later identified as Robert, sadly died at the scene.

“He had suffered 12 serious stab wounds, including defensive injuries indicating he tried to protect himself from the blows,” the statement read.

The court heard that Uwagboe had robbed a 17-year-old boy of his bicycle and phone on Deptford High Street in Deptford.

The deceased was part of a group that went to the home of Uwagboe’s associate, Ryan Wedderburn, in Windlass Place, Deptford, hoping they would find the bicycle and the thief.

When there was no answer at the flat, the group left the property, but some members of the group then allegedly damaged two cars belonging to the Wedderburn family.

The statement continued, “A short time later, Uwagboe left the property in Windlass Place with friends Ryan Wedderburn and Kirk Harris. All three were armed with machetes.

“They walked to nearby Carteret Way, where Robert, one of his friends and their mother spotted the group and ran away. The mother was on the phone to 999 at the time, reporting the earlier bike robbery.

“Robert was chased and overpowered by the group. He was stabbed at least 12 times and, despite the efforts of paramedics, died at the scene, after which the killers fled.”

Using extensive phone records, detectives were able to show that Omoluogbe was in contact with Uwagboe in the hours after the murder.

“He bought a plane ticket to Lagos, Nigeria, for £1,129.89 on Friday, 7 June 2024. Omoluogbe and his brother took Uwagboe to Heathrow the following day.

“Uwagboe returned to the UK on Tuesday, 25 February 2025, when he was arrested at Gatwick Airport on suspicion of murder,” the statement disclosed.

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Detectives were said to have built a strong case against the men, watching hundreds of hours of CCTV, sifting through phone records from over a dozen different suspects and witnesses, and analysing bank records to piece together their movements.

DNA analysis reportedly helped link a knife found in the wake of the murder to Kirk Harris, who was convicted of murder last year.

Another knife was recovered from the Thames months after the killing, but could be linked to another one of the killers, Ryan Wedderburn, through CCTV.

Following the verdicts, Detective Inspector Neil Tovey, who led the investigation, said, “Today’s verdict brings justice for Robert Robinson and his family. Robert was subjected to a brutal and sustained attack by a group of men armed with knives.

“While homicide levels in London are falling, knife crime remains a profound concern for us and our communities. This investigation demonstrates our absolute determination to pursue offenders wherever they go and to hold them accountable for their actions.

“The conviction of Omoluogbe for perverting the course of justice reflects the seriousness of assisting a murderer to evade arrest.

“Anyone who chooses to help violent offenders avoid accountability is complicit in the harm caused and can expect to face the full force of the law.”