A 36-year-old Nigerian man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for fatally stabbing a friend in a Vauxhall flat following a dispute over money, after jurors unanimously rejected his claim of self-defence and saw through a series of attempts to cover up the killing.

Fawaz Abdulkareem was found guilty of murdering 32-year-old Daniel Manuel at Abdulkareem’s flat on Bondway, Vauxhall, following a night out and an argument about a debt. He was convicted of murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place at Croydon Crown Court on May 21. Abdulkareem was sentenced on Friday, June 5, 2026, to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years.

Mr Manuel was fatally stabbed at Abdulkareem’s Bondway residence on July 5 last year, after the pair had spent the evening at a nightclub. They returned to the flat in the early hours with a group of friends. It was during an argument about money that Abdulkareem attacked Mr Manuel, stabbing him three times with a kitchen knife.

Mr Manuel was found with three stab wounds in the lobby of the apartment block. Police were called at 5.38am and arrived within six minutes, providing emergency first aid. Despite the efforts of officers, paramedics, and doctors, Mr Manuel died at the scene.

Abdulkareem’s efforts to evade responsibility began almost immediately after the attack. Following the assault, Abdulkareem left the flat, attempting to conceal the weapon in his waistband and using his T-shirt to disguise it as he reported Mr Manuel’s injuries to staff in the communal lobby.

When Abdulkareem realised emergency services were on their way, he tried to dispose of the blade out the window on the 14th floor of the tower block. He also claimed it was Daniel who had attacked him, a lie the jury ultimately saw through.

The Metropolitan Police welcomed the verdict and sentencing. A senior officer noted that Abdulkareem had tried to deceive police, recklessly throwing the murder weapon from the window of the 14th floor of a tower block and cruelly claiming it was Daniel who had attacked him, but that Met detectives saw through his lies and worked hard to secure a conviction.

“Our thoughts remain with Daniel’s family and we hope this sentence gives them a degree of peace,” the force added.

Abdulkareem’s claim of self-defence was dismissed by the jury, who convicted him unanimously. He will serve a minimum of 17 years before being eligible for parole consideration.