Man sentenced for murder after killing man in New Cross

A man has been jailed after murdering a man in New Cross last year.

This conviction and subsequent sentencing follows a thorough investigation by detectives, demonstrating the Met’s commitment to tackling knife crime, serious violence and bringing dangerous offenders to justice.

On Tuesday, 14 July at Southwark Crown Court, Ben Wazabanga, 23 (24.10.2001) of Fairfax Road, Bedford was sentenced to 24 years in prison. A jury at the same court found Wazabanga guilty of murdering 26-year-old Ayowale Aladejana at an earlier hearing on Thursday, 11 June.

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: “Wazabanga carried out a ruthless attack on Ayowale, driving many miles to confront him at his home before fatally stabbing him.

“Both the responding officers and subsequent detectives worked tirelessly, quickly identifying the suspect, arresting him and securing the weapon. They harnessed CCTV and phone data to establish the timeline that led to Ayowale’s death.

“We were able to establish that Wazabanga alone used the knife to kill Ayowale. Although no sentence will bring him back, I hope today’s result will bring Ayowale’s loved ones a measure of comfort and justice.”

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.