Police issue plea for information five years on from fatal New Year’s Eve stabbing

Five years after Taofeek Lamidi was stabbed and left for dead on a London street on New Year’s Eve, police continue to hunt his suspected killer.

The 20-year-old suffered “horrific injuries” in the attack on 31 December 2017, when he was found lying in Memorial Avenue in West Ham, east London, shortly after 7.30pm.

He had been repeatedly stabbed and despite the best efforts of emergency services, was pronounced dead at the scene less than an hour later.

The Metropolitan Police said they believe his suspected killer – 25-year-old Ahmed Mohamed – fled to Kenya after the killing.

Officers have appealed to anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts to get in touch.

Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley said: “Almost five years have passed since this horrific incident that took a young man from his family, and our investigation very much remains ongoing.

“Taofeek’s family deserve justice and we will not rest until we locate those responsible and bring them before the courts.

“If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of Ahmed Mohamed, then I urge you to please do the right thing, get in touch with us.”

He added: “Violent incidents such as this have no place on London’s streets, and we are following up a number of lines of inquiry to locate Mohamed.

“Memorial Avenue is a busy residential area close to West Ham station. I know that there were people in the area who witnessed the incident, and I need them to come forward.

“Any information provided will be treated with the strictest confidence.”