A man has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 24 years for fatally stabbing his business partner with a hunting knife following a dispute over investments in a car rental business. Ben Wazabanga, 24, was found guilty of murder after killing Ayowale Aladejana in south London. The court learned that Wazabanga, along with his partner Ronique Belfon, struggled to reach Aladejana as the business encountered financial difficulties.
On August 2, 2025, Wazabanga armed himself with a hunting knife and traveled from Bedford to south London with Belfon in search of Aladejana. The couple had their two young children in the car during the incident. Wazabanga had previously admitted to carrying a bladed article and breaching a suspended sentence.
During the trial, it was revealed that Wazabanga stabbed Aladejana in the chest during a confrontation captured on a doorbell camera. Following the attack, Wazabanga fled the scene but later returned to retrieve his phone before leaving with Belfon. Prosecutors highlighted Wazabanga’s long history of carrying knives and his motive for the attack.
Wazabanga and Belfon were arrested by police after the incident near Waterloo Bridge. Wazabanga, who expressed remorse in a letter to the judge, acknowledged the pain caused by his actions and expressed a desire for personal growth. The judge emphasized the grave consequences of knife crime in the UK and the need to address such violence in society.
