Man convicted of murder after fatal stabbing in south east London
He'll be sentenced next month for killing 26-year-old Ayowale Aladejana in New Cross.
Last updated 9 hours ago
A man from Bedford has been found guilty of murdering a man in south east London last year.
On Thursday, 11 June a jury at Southwark Crown Court found 23 year old Ben Wazabanga,of Fairfax Road, Bedford, guilty of murdering 26-year-old Ayowale Aladejana in New Cross.
Through extensive CCTV and phone analysis, officers were able to build a strong and compelling case. They established that Wazabanga had turned against Aladejana, his former business associate, in a dispute over money. Fuelled by anger, he planned to confront him and armed himself with a knife, which he later used to kill Aladejana.
Detective Chief Inspector Lucie Card, who led the investigation, said: “This was a calculated and brutal attack, with Wazabanga driving a considerable distance in order to accost Aladejana at his home and cause him harm.
“Both the responding officers and subsequent detectives worked tirelessly, examining CCTV and phone data, to piece together the timeline that led to Aladejana’s death.
“This was a truly tragic and avoidable incident. We established that Wazabanga alone used the knife to kill Aladejana, and I hope that today’s conviction will bring Aladejana’s loved ones a measure of comfort as they continue to grieve his loss.”
The investigation
On Saturday, 2 August 2025, police were called to reports of a man with stab wounds at a residential address in Monson Road, New Cross.
Officers attended alongside the London Ambulance Service and London Air Ambulance, who treated a 26-year-old man. Despite their efforts, he sadly died at the scene.
A post-mortem examination took place on Sunday, 3 August and gave a preliminary cause of death as a stab wound to the chest.
The first officers at the scene conducted enquiries with both speed and precision. They trawled through local CCTV to identify the car that had parked outside Aladejana’s home and fled shortly before police were called.
The vehicle details were circulated widely, with the car later being stopped by armed police near Waterloo Bridge in central London. Despite Wazabanga running from the car with a knife in his hands, officers swiftly arrested him on suspicion of murder.
Further CCTV enquiries helped detectives piece together the series of events that led to the attack.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition revealed that Wazabanga drove from Bedford to New Cross, a journey spanning 50 miles, to confront Aladejana. Phone analysis also confirmed his grievance towards the victim and the plan he had formed.
Wazabanga will be sentenced at the same court on Monday, 13 July.