18-Year-Old UK-Based Nigerian Convicted of Murder After Social Media Feud Turned Deadly

Two teenage drill rappers have been found guilty of murdering an 18-year-old man in Enfield, north London, after a gang rivalry escalated from a dispute on social media.

Emmanuel Popoola, 18, and Tayvon Etefia, 18, were convicted at the Old Bailey of murdering Keanu Harker on June 26 last year. The pair were also found guilty of possessing a self-loading pistol with intent to endanger life. They are scheduled to be sentenced later this week.

The court heard that the killing was linked to a long-running rivalry between the 3×3 gang and the Get Money Gang (GMG). Prosecutors said the violence was sparked after comments were exchanged on Snapchat, including remarks suggesting Popoola could not afford mobile data.

According to the prosecution, Etefia rode a high-powered electric bike while Popoola sat behind him. They chased Harker, who was also riding a bicycle, before pulling alongside him. Popoola then allegedly fired three shots from close range, striking Harker in the head and chest.

Although fatally wounded, Harker managed to crawl into the front garden of a nearby home before collapsing. The attackers fled the scene, abandoned the electric bike, discarded their clothing and were later picked up in a car driven by fellow drill rapper Eliezer Mbaki.

The court heard that both men later attempted to flee to France. Popoola successfully boarded a one-way Eurostar train to Paris with the assistance of his girlfriend, Anais King, while Etefia was arrested by police just two minutes before his train departed. French authorities later arrested Popoola in Paris before he was extradited to the United Kingdom.

Popoola denied any involvement in the shooting during the trial, but the jury found him guilty after a week of deliberations.

The jury also convicted Mbaki, King and a 17-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, of perverting the course of justice for helping the offenders after the murder.

Popoola and Etefia are due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey later this week, while the remaining defendants will be sentenced on a later date.