A 36-year-old Nigerian man, Fawaz Abdulkareem, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the fatal stabbing of Daniel Manuel following an argument at a flat in Vauxhall, south London.
Abdulkareem was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Friday, June 5, and must serve a minimum of 17 years before he can be considered for parole. He had earlier been unanimously convicted of murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place on May 21.
According to the Metropolitan Police, the incident occurred in the early hours of July 5, 2025, at a residential building on Bondway. Officers were called to the scene at about 5.38am following reports of a stabbing. On arrival, they found 32-year-old Manuel in the lobby of the apartment block with serious knife injuries. Despite emergency treatment by police officers, paramedics and other medical personnel, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators said Manuel and Abdulkareem had spent the evening together with friends before returning to Abdulkareem’s flat. An argument later broke out over a debt, during which Abdulkareem attacked Manuel with a knife. Police said the defendant attempted to claim he had acted in self-defence, but detectives rejected his account and built a case that led to his conviction.
The murder weapon was later recovered after Abdulkareem threw it from the window of his 14th-floor flat in an apparent attempt to dispose of it. He was arrested at the scene and charged the following day.
Detective Inspector Luke Hampton, who led the investigation, said Manuel was killed “in a moment of extreme violence” by someone he had believed to be his friend. He said detectives worked quickly to secure evidence, recover the weapon and challenge Abdulkareem’s version of events.
“Our thoughts remain with Daniel’s family,” Hampton said, adding that police hoped the sentence would provide them with some measure of justice.
In a victim impact statement read after sentencing, Manuel’s wife, Zulal, described her husband as central to her life and spoke of the devastating effect his death had on their family.
The Metropolitan Police said the case underlined its continued efforts to tackle serious violent crime and ensure offenders are brought before the courts.
