The family of a student who was fatally shot and stabbed while cycling home from a friend’s house have appealed for the public’s help to get justice a decade after his death.
Ola Raji, 21, was shot and stabbed in Peckham in 2015 by two men on the East Surrey Grove estate, near Commercial Way, and later died in hospital.
Police say he had been cycling home after watching a football match at a friend’s house on the night of Tuesday, 21 April.
Three people were arrested on suspicion of murder after the attack, and two others were arrested for perverting the course of justice, but no further action was taken, and no criminal charges were ever brought.
Ola’s family and the police are appealing for information on the 10-year anniversary of his death, with Crimestoppers offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information that leads to the identification and prosecution of those responsible for the murder.
Metropolitan Police say they are particularly interested in speaking to witnesses described as:
• A female driving a black Vauxhall Corsa in the area between 9.45pm to 11pm.
• Two males who returned to an address in Pear Court at 11.10pm.
In the appeal, Ola’s sisters Zainab Raji and Ruki Ware said: “This is a painful reminder of 10 years of loss – our family is not going to get that time back.
“When we get together, there is always that sense of something missing. There are children who never get to know their uncle, who would still be so young even now. The laughter we share is that little less loud. There is a smile absent in the photographs.”
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Ola’s family continued: “But this is not just about our family. It’s about safety on the streets of Peckham and the wider south London area. There is no doubt the people who did this once could carry out similar attacks again. Maybe they already have.
“We are getting closer to the truth – for example, we now know about phone calls Ola received shortly before the attack. Just the smallest piece of evidence from any witnesses or those with knowledge of what happened could be enough to put those responsible behind bars and make the streets safer for the entire community.”
Appealing to potential witnesses, investigation lead DCI Alex Gammampila said: “Were you out in Peckham that night? Were you also watching the football that night, or were you near Commercial Way? Did you see or hear the shooting or anything that struck you as being unusual?
“No piece of information is too small, and could be the final piece of the puzzle that leads us to identify Ola’s attackers.”
Ola was watching a Champion’s League football match between Bayern Munich and Porto.
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Alexa Loukas, London Regional Manager at Crimestoppers, added: “We know that there may be several witnesses who have information but for whatever reason talking to the police is not an option. We are an independent charity, separate from the police, and we are unable to identify anyone who contacts us.”
Anyone with information can call 101 or message the police at @MetCC on X, giving the reference 2597/16APR25. Information, including photos or videos, can also be easily uploaded to the Met’s appeal page.
You can provide information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or by filling out its online form.
