From Tunde Oyedoyin, London

Four others convicted


WITH four down and one set to go, it is certainly not the best of times for some Nigerian teenagers in London.


Barely three days that four of them were convicted for the mob-attack and killing of a Moroccan boy in London, there were indications yesterday that another Nigerian teenager, Victoria Osoteku, will on Thursday be sentenced for her role in the death of the 15-year-old promising footballer, Sofyen Belamouadden.


The deceased was stabbed to death at Victoria Tube station in March 2010. Belamouadden, a talented footballer had impressed at Chelsea trials and had hoped to play for England before he was killed by the mob.


The four Nigerian teenagers, including a pastor's son, who got 12 years, were last Friday jailed by Judge Christopher Moss at the Central Criminal Court (a.k.a. Old Bailey) over their role in the death of Belamouadden.


A member of staff at the Old Bailey told The Guardian yesterday that 19-year-old Victoria would be sentenced on Thursday.


Victoria, the only girl charged in the incident, was part of a 20-youth mob, who allegedly carried out the attack and killing in the ticket hall of the crowded and popular Tube station in front of terrified commuters during the 5.00 p.m. rush hour.


The killer squad included a pastor's son, Femi Oderinwale, 18, who was jailed for 12 years for manslaughter and the trio of Samson Odegbune, 18, Obi Nwokeh, 19, and Christopher Omoregie, 18, who were jailed each for life but would serve a minimum of 18 years.


Victoria, according to the court, had suffered shocking abuse as a child, used social networking site, Facebook to recruit "troops and weapons."


She was captured on Close Circuit Television (CCTV) kicking the victim as he laid on the ground. The court was told that the mob, whose members were 15 at the time, were armed with an entire set of kitchen knives, flick knives and other weapons that included metal bars and batons.


Jailing the trio of Omoregie, Nwokeh and Odegbune at Her Majesty's Pleasure (life sentence) on Friday, Moss said: "At about 5.15 p.m. during the evening rush-hour in the presence of many horrified commuters, Sofyen was attacked by a pack of teenagers. Within 12 seconds, he was left fatally wounded with no less than nine stab wounds on the body as the attackers made their escape."


After carrying out the deadly attack, the court heard that the killers tried to escape on a public bus, but the bus was stopped by the police, who found a knife in a bag belonging to Omoregie, who was 16 at the time. Another knife with the fingerprint of Nwokeh was found wrapped in a newspaper.


The court heard that Oderinwale, described as "the armourer," also took to Facebook on the night before the attack, urging his friends to buy or bring knives.


The court also heard that Omoregie, who had achieved nine A and B grades in his GCSE had planned going to university before joining the wrong crowd.


Two other teenagers were jailed for seven years each for their part in the killing. The Old Bailey also heard that the attack was sparked by a trivial row between two groups of youths from different schools in West London. A day before the attack, a boy from one of the groups had suffered a bloody nose and this led to plans to carry out a showdown the next day.


The groups sent text messages and also took to Facebook to announce and recruit others.


In a statement from the victim's father, Abdeslam Belamouadden, the Moroccan immigrant described his son as a "talented young man loved by everyone in his life."

http://odili.net/news/source/2012/apr/24/23.html

^^^It's a vicious cycle out here in London, and these are the selected few, reported in the media. The next generation of Nigerians in the UK is doomed.

The dangers of 'gang-mentality' and 'group-think' syndrome!
The main reason I avoid people in ANY group.
MOB MENTALITY FOR THE BRAINLESS AND MINDLESS.

Tragic.

^^^Really Tragic. It's becoming a vicious circle, what a pity! The worst part is that the murders are being committed by minors.