From $1M Fraud Conviction to Murder: Lagos Big Boy Jailed for Killing Friend in London

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Jun 7, 2026 #aggravated identity theft conviction USA, #Bondway Vauxhall stabbing case, #Fawaz Abdulkareem, #From $1m fraud conviction, #Lagos big boy UK case, #Larry Hoover UK murder case, #London friend killing money dispute, #London stabbing Vauxhall, #Nigerian man jailed UK murder, #UK life sentence Nigerian national, #UK murder sentencing Croydon Crown Court

Femi Ashekun/

A 36-year-old man of Nigerian origin, previously convicted in the United States for a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme, has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the United Kingdom for the murder of his friend during a dispute over money.

Fawaz Abdulkareem, also known as “Larry Hoover”, was convicted of killing 32-year-old Daniel Manuel after a night out in London escalated into a fatal confrontation at his flat in Vauxhall.

The court heard that the incident occurred on July 5, 2025 after the pair and friends had spent the evening at a nightclub before returning to Abdulkareem’s Bondway apartment in the early hours.

What began as a disagreement over an outstanding debt quickly spiralled out of control.

Prosecutors said Abdulkareem stabbed Manuel three times with a kitchen knife during the altercation.

He later left the flat attempting to conceal the weapon in his waistband and using his T-shirt to cover what had happened before alerting staff in the building’s communal area.

When emergency services were called, he attempted to dispose of the knife by throwing it from a 14th-floor window.

Police arrived within minutes and arrested him at the scene after noticing blood on his clothing.

Although Abdulkareem claimed he acted in self-defence, investigators told the court that the injuries sustained by the victim suggested he was stabbed while his back was turned.

A jury at Croydon Crown Court unanimously found him guilty of murder and possession of a bladed article on May 21.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years.

Detectives said Abdulkareem had attempted to mislead investigators and dispose of the weapon, but forensic evidence and witness accounts helped secure his conviction.

The victim’s wife described his death as devastating, saying it had left her emotionally, physically and financially shattered.

However, what has drawn further attention to the case is Abdulkareem’s criminal history.

In 2017, he was jailed for three years in the United States after being convicted of a $1 million aggravated identity theft and bank fraud conspiracy.

He was also ordered to pay nearly $930,000 in restitution to affected financial institutions.