A 24-year-old Nigerian, Chukwuemeka Ahanonu, has been handed a life sentence by a United Kingdom court for the killing of a 56-year-old woman, Nila Patel, in Leicester.
Details obtained by PUNCH Metro from Leicestershire Police indicated that the incident occurred on June 24, 2025, on Infirmary Road after the convict crashed his car while reportedly under the influence of cannabis.
Investigators said Ahanonu had been driving dangerously around the city centre, ignoring traffic signals, swerving across lanes and posing a threat to pedestrians before eventually crashing.
He was said to have fled the crash scene and attacked Patel, who had just stepped off a bus and was walking home.
Police later recovered cannabis packaged for sale worth over £3,000, as well as three mobile phones, from his vehicle at the time of arrest.
The convict had earlier pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, possession of cannabis with intent to supply and assaulting an emergency worker after biting a female police officer.
He was restrained by security personnel at the Leicester Royal Infirmary before officers arrived, while the victim, who suffered serious head injuries, was treated by medical staff. She died two days later, prompting his re-arrest on June 26, 2025, on a murder charge.
Ahanonu was subsequently found guilty by a jury at Leicester Crown Court and sentenced on Tuesday.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Emma Matts, described the killing as a random and violent act against an innocent victim.
She noted that there was no prior connection between the attacker and the deceased, adding that CCTV footage of his driving before the crash revealed alarming behaviour.
Matts also praised members of the public who intervened, stating that their swift actions in restraining the suspect and assisting the victim aided the course of justice.
In a separate case, two men based in Ireland, Francis Ogbuefi, 42, and Steven Silvester, 32, were sentenced to a combined 16 years in prison for their involvement in an international money laundering scheme.
According to Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the duo were convicted following an investigation by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau, with Ogbuefi receiving a nine-year sentence and Silvester jailed for seven and a half years.
Authorities said the convictions highlight growing concerns over transnational financial crimes involving foreign nationals.
