Family of murdered student renew appeal with £20,000 reward to find his killers

A decade on, one family continues to seek justice after a 21-year-old student was stabbed and shot while cycling home in south London.

Ola Raji, a 21-year-old student, was targeted by attackers while on his way home from watching a Champion’s League football game at a friend’s house.

His family have not had any closure after his killing in Peckham on April 21, 2015, as the suspects remain at large.

The attack happened when he cycled on the East Surrey Grove estate near Commercial Way.

Ola was stabbed and shot by two men and he succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.

His sisters Zainab Raji and Ruki Ware said as they renewed the appeal for information: ‘This is a painful reminder of 10 years of loss – our family is not going to get that time back.

‘When we get together, there is always that sense of something missing.

‘There are children who never get to know their Uncle, who would still be so young even now. The laughter we share is that little less loud. There is a smile absent in the photographs.

‘But this is not just about our family. It’s about safety on the streets of Peckham and the wider south London area.

‘There is no doubt the people who did this once could carry out similar attacks again. Maybe they already have.

‘We are getting closer to the truth – for example, we now know about phone calls Ola received shortly before the attack. Just the smallest piece of evidence from any witnesses or those with knowledge of what happened could be enough to put those responsible behind bars and make the streets safer for the entire community.’

Now, Crimestoppers the charity has promised a reward of up to £20,000 for information that leads to finding and prosecuting those responsible for his killing.

‘Innocent man in the wrong place at the worst time’

Detectives want to speak to witnesses who might have valuable information – a woman driving a black Vauxhall Corsa in the area between 9.45pm and 11pm nad two men who returned to an address in Pear Court at 11.10pm.

Ola was ‘an innocent man, in the wrong place at the worst time,’ Detective Chief Inspector Alex Gammampila said.

He said that ‘no piece of information is too small’ in trying to identify the attackers.

‘Were you out in Peckham that night? Were you also watching the football that night, or were you near Commercial Way? Did you see or hear the shooting or anything that struck you as being unusual?’ he said.

Ola’s attackers walking free to this day ‘is deeply unsettling for his loved ones and the local community,’ Alexa Loukas, London regional manager at Crimestoppers, said.

‘We know that there may be several witnesses who have information but for whatever reason talking to the police is not an option. We are an independent charity, separate from the police, and we are unable to identify anyone who contacts us,’ he added.

It is possible that the attackers fled the scene on foot via a cut through from Cator Street into Sumner Road before turning into Rosemary Road and continuing in the direction of the Surrey Canal Path.

Over the years, five people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, but no further action was ever taken against them.

Anyone with information can report it to the Met Police by calling 101 or messaging @MetCC on X and giving reference 2597/16APR25.

Anonymous reports can be made by calling independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. The reward will be payable only for information passed directly to Crimestoppers and not to the police. A reward code must be requested when contacting Crimestoppers.

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