Category: LONDON DIGEST

DIASPORA NEWS, FEATURES, LONDON DIGEST, UK

At Last, Black Businesses Can Join The Mainstream Market

I came across the post by Dawn from Black Economics UK on a Facebook platform we both belong to. The post was directed at black owned businesses who would wish to feature their goods in John Lewis stores and I went “Yessss, at last”!! A great opportunity for African and Black owned businesses to sell their products directly to the upmarket, mainstream audience.

Thanks to the persistence of Aurora James who called on brands, including Net-a-Porter, Target, and Whole Foods, to sign the 15 percent pledge, a commitment to buying 15 percent of their goods from Black-owned businesses.

This came after the mass Black Lives Matter protests that proceeded the George Floyd murder in the United States. It is believed that Black people which include mixed raced blacks form a modestly estimated 7 – 10% of the entire UK population, and that number whatever the real figure is, is growing daily thanks to immigration and growing families.

Rhinestone T-shirts by Lyrically Inspired
Cosmetics brand by JoebolExquisites

The time has come for the presence of the Black economy to be represented and seen in the mainstream commerce. Previously, black goods and services were underground, home based enterprises directed mostly at people within the immediate community. And most marketing strategies by many Black owned businesses are targeted to the Black or African segment of the wider community.

Diva by Keni

And it is usually erroneously assumed that such goods are second rate, unprofessional and of a lesser quality. But this cannot be any further from the truth. For example, I personally know a lot of Nigerian entrepreneurs in London, Liverpool and Manchester who produce high quality items that can be featured in any store and compete with any producers anywhere in the world.

Fashion by KaftTrendz
Skincare by Dazzlin Daizi

There are several highly talented and driven individuals with personally produced and branded cosmetics lines, shoe designers, human hair producers and fashion designers and now, within the Black Community. All of them can have their products featured on top stores shelves or on major online stores such as :
Shopify Store
Woo Commerce Store
Ebay
Etsy
Amazon
Asos
Depop

Currently, there are calls for interested entrepreneurs to take up shelf spaces on a pop-up, trial basis for their products at John Lewis stores in shopping centres all over Britain.

Details

From 12th October to 19th October, interested and approved businesses can take up 1 week trial spaces to sell their products in shopping centres with high footfall.

The space would be a Pop up Store for one week at a cost of £300+vat per week. Or price could be cheaper if you share a space with another business. Products can be Fashion, Cosmetics, Art, Furnishings, Toys, Food (pre-packaged).

Interested, businesses please contact Dawn on 07960 932 860, drop an email to info@blackeconomics.co.uk

LAW & ORDER, LONDON DIGEST, UK

Former British MP Jailed For Sexual Assault

A former MP has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for sexually assaulting a woman and a female parliamentary worker in separate offences nine years apart. He will also be placed on the sex offenders register for ten years.

The crimes of Charles Elphicke, 49, came to light after he was reported to police and parliamentary authorities in late 2017 following the media publication of a list of MPs accused of sexually inappropriate behaviour.

The first assault took place in 2007 as Elphicke shared a bottle of wine with a woman while his wife was away.

Elphicke became sexually suggestive and lunged at her, attempting to kiss and touch her while she tried to get away.

Elphicke paid her in cash to keep it secret from his wife.

Nine years later, Elphicke who was by then MP for Dover and Deal, assaulted another young woman – a  parliamentary worker.

In April 2016, Elphicke forcibly kissed and felt the woman’s body while they shared a drink. In May of the same year, the MP sexually touched her again, despite her having stated she had no interest in him.

The woman subsequently complained to the Whip’s office and Elphicke lied when interviewed about the matter.

Elphicke denied the offences, claiming he did kiss the first woman but stopped when she did not reciprocate, and whilst he was ‘besotted’ with the second victim he did not touch her.

He has now been convicted of three counts of sexual assault on the two women after a three-week trial at Southwark Crown Court. He will be sentenced on 15 September.

Natalie Dawson, CPS Specialist Prosecutor, said: “Charles Elphicke abused his power and influence over these women to make unwanted and forceful sexual advances towards them.

“The assaults have had a profound impact on these women – who feared for their careers if they reported him.

“Elphicke has lied repeatedly about his conduct and failed to take responsibility for his behaviour and the harm suffered by his victims.

“This prosecution and these convictions show that their reports have been taken seriously. I would like to thank them for their bravery in coming forward. Their courage and strength demonstrate that offenders like Elphicke can be brought to justice.

“I hope these convictions today give other victims the confidence to report sexual abuse, no matter how powerful their abuser.”

How the case was proved:

To secure sexual assault convictions, the CPS had to prove not only that the attacks took place but that Elphicke had no reasonable grounds to believe the victims were consenting to his advances.

The prosecution called on substantial evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police demonstrating how both women were shocked and horrified by Elphicke’s conduct.

Accounts given by the women to friends, family and colleagues at the time of the assaults, either in person or via text messages, played a crucial part in proving the charges.

Ms Dawson added: “One of the striking aspects in this case was the similarities in the women’s accounts, despite them never having met and the assaults taking place almost a decade apart.

“Both described Elphicke behaving immaturely immediately after the assaults – such as describing himself as ‘naughty’ – as well as the determined and frantic nature of the touching.

“The case was strengthened by access the second victim gave police to her mobile phone during the relevant period, which provided a timeline of events and demonstrated the distress Elphicke’s conduct had caused her.”

DIASPORA NEWS, Knife Crime, LONDON DIGEST, UK

2 Young Men Of Nigerian Descent Stabbed To Death In London

Many in the UK Nigerian community have stopped taking so much interest since it appeared the number of young men of Nigerian descent involved either as victims or as perpetrators of knife crime in the capital were on the decrease,.

However it is important to bring to peoples awareness that knife crime is just as rampant as it has always been.

This morning, I received the sad message of the cruel stabbing and killing of 22 year old Anthony Adekola in Colindale, North London which took place on Saturday. In August there was a reported stabbing in the same area and the victim thankfully made a recovery. It is not clear if Anthony’s killing was a revenge attack in a gangs war.

On Juy 29, 26 year old Christopher George was shot to death in Sebastopol Road Edmonton North London. The news of the murder was widely reported in the news but many would not have associated his English names with being Nigerian.

Christopher was sitting in a parked Mercedes Benz when 2 men approached the car and opened fire, shooting him in the chest at point range.

What is however becoming increasingly alarming is the age of the victims. During the scourge of 2018, the average age of victims of knives and guns murders was 17. Now many of the murdered young me are in their 20s.

On June 8, Alexander Kareem, 20, was riding a scooter near his family home in Shepherd’s Bush when he was gunned down in a case of mistaken identity. And Jeffrey Wegbe, 26,  was shot dead on his doorstep in Kilburn, in the early hours of 14th August.

20 year old Salem Koudou was found with stab wounds following a fight on Wynne Road in Lambeth on the 20th August.

On June 5, Oluwamayowa Adeyemi was fatally shot on the Nightingale Estate, Hackney. He was 21.

On April 26th, 24 year old David Gomoh a NHS worker was stabbed to death, a few yards from his doorstep just a few days after his dad died of the coronavirus.

These are just a few of the deaths by knifing and shooting that have occurred in the capital in just the last 3 months. The recent pandemic has caused a shift of attention and focus away from the problem of gangs crime in the capital and many of the cases that are being reported in the media, are being done with the barest minimum of detail that several of them go unnoticed

Knife Crime, LONDON DIGEST, UK

Mother Of Murdered Teenager Makes Fresh Appeal To Catch Son’s Killer Three Years On

The mother of a teenage boy who was shot dead in a park in east London three years ago has made an emotional plea to the public to help catch those responsible on the third anniversary of her son’s death.

Corey Junior Davis was aged only 14 when he was shot in the head at close range in a playground in Moore Walk, E7. Despite an extensive investigation, no one has been convicted of his murder.

The 14-year-old – who was also known as CJ – had been socialising with a friend when the shooting happened at around 15:08hrs on 4 September 2017. He was taken to hospital but died the following day.

His mother, Keisha McLeod, said: “Three years ago today my life stopped and until my son’s murderer is brought to justice, I’m unable to move on or have any type of closure.
“CJ was a fun, loving, kind and handsome young boy. He loved dancing and would make us join in with his routines. He was incredibly talented and had so much to live for.

“I won’t give up on my campaign for justice until my son’s killer is behind bars and that’s why I’m asking anyone with any information to speak to the police.”

Corey had been living with his uncle in south London for some months, but at the time of the murder was staying at his grandfather’s Forest Gate flat, just yards away from the playground where he was killed.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Whellams from the Specialist Crime Command, who is leading the investigation, said:

“It’s been a very complicated case but over time allegiances change and there may be people who couldn’t speak to police previously who are now prepared to help.

“Whatever anyone tells us will be treated sensitively and confidentially and we can protect them from any fear of retribution.

“We need people who were there at the time and who know what happened to put their trust in us, to come forward and to help give CJ’s family the answers and justice they deserve.”

A £20,000 reward is being offered by the Metropolitan Police Service to anyone who can provide information that leads to a conviction.

Anyone who can help officers is asked to contact the dedicated incident room number on 020 8345 3775 or 101 or make contact via Twitter @MetCC.

To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

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LAW & ORDER, LONDON DIGEST, UK

Met Police to sends open letter to organisers and/or participants of public gatherings

The Metropolitan Police Service has sent out a strong advise to people against attending large gatherings. This, the MPS says is for the protection of the public with a reminder that we are still in the middle of a global pandemic.

The statement reads:

Please be advised that you may also be at risk of committing a criminal offence. Under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020 (as amended), no person may participate in a gathering which consists of more than 30 persons either indoors, on a vessel, or in a public outdoor place, unless certain exemptions apply.

There is an exemption for a gathering organised by certain types of body (such as a business or a charity), having carried out a full risk assessment and taken all steps to limit the transmission of the virus. Other exemptions apply to gatherings that are necessary for the purposes of work, providing emergency assistance or escaping the risk of harm. This open letter does not contain all the provisions. 

To find the Regulations, look on line at www.legislation.gov.uk.

The Regulations specifically prohibit participation in indoor gatherings of more than 30 people for an event that would constitute a ‘Rave’.

If you attend a gathering of more than 30 persons, you may be committing an offence, which is punishable by a fine. If you hold a gathering over 30 persons you might be committing an offence under new changes to the Regulations. It is also an offence to encourage others to unlawfully participate in a large gathering.

It is your responsibility to check the position and ensure you are not committing an offence by being involved in a large gathering. We urge anyone arranging a gathering to inform your local police.

We all need to continue to do our part to prevent the spread of the virus.

MPS Commander Public Order. 

DIASPORA NEWS, LONDON DIGEST, UK

“It Is Our National Assignment” – Roberts-Folayan Reacts To Diaspora Investment Trust Committee Appointment

Chief Bimbo Roberts-Folayan, member of the newly inaugurated Ad-hoc committee on the establishment of Diaspora Investment Fund has reacted to his appointment and the wave of goodwill and congratulatory messages that greeted the news.

In a statement, he said “I have received loads of congratulatory messages, texts and even calls from many people in the past few days. The news is everywhere and many are happy for me in particular”

Chief Roberts-Folayan who is a 2 term Chairman of the umbrella association for Nigerian groups, associations and businesses in the UK, CANUK, said in his statement, that the experience of the last few days has shown that there are so many people out there who are truly looking forward to the participation of leaders in the Diaspora in Nigeria’s national affairs.

“There is so much confidence that we will add value”, he added.

Folayan who is also the Founder and Chairman of the UK based Nigerian Diaspora Direct Summit expressed his thanks to the Chairman and CEO of NIDCOM, Mrs Abike Dabiri Erewa for identifying him and the other people on the important committee for such important work. He said “This is a national assignment to help draft a framework for a Diaspora Trust Fund for Nigeria. Members of the committee are drawn from different countries and are great Nigerian assets and most of our operations will be carried out online”.

He concluded by saying – in his usual jocular manner “Unlike what many think (especially on social media), I am not relocating to live in Nigeria… yet. Hahahaha”.

I cannot think of anyone more deserving of such an assignment. Congratulations once again, Chief Bimbo.

Everyone especially men, must read this: Make Plans for the Inevitable

LAW & ORDER, LONDON DIGEST, UK

Thamesmead Rapist And Kidnapper Jailed For 15 Years

23 year old Desmond Atumkeze of Battery Road, Greenwich, who kidnapped and raped a lone female as she walked home was sentenced to 15 years and two months’ imprisonment, with a further three years on extended licence, at Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday, 11 June.

He pleaded guilty at the same court on Thursday, 19 March to two counts of rape and one count of kidnap.

The court heard that at about 20:45hrs on 8 November 2019, the 30-year-old victim was walking through a basketball court in Gallion’s Park when she heard footsteps behind her.

As she exited the basketball court, an unknown man put something into the small of her back and said: “I’ve got a gun. I’m going to kill you.”

The man stayed behind the victim and walked her to a concrete clearing next to a drained canal, which has no street lighting, near Warepoint Drive, SE28.

The man, who was wearing a ski mask, then forced the victim to remove all her clothing before raping her.

During the ordeal, the suspect made comments such as ‘I’m local’ and “I know your face, I know where you live.”

He kept asking the victim questions including if she had a boyfriend and who she lived with. The victim tried to remain calm and comply because she was afraid for her life due to the threat of a gun and the suspect telling her that he knew where she lived.

Following the assault, the suspect made the victim walk to the canal bank while still naked and instructed her to wash for 10 minutes in a large puddle, which she did in the freezing cold temperature.

The suspect then allowed the victim to get dressed while he went through her handbag, taking her headphones and mobile phone – forcing her to put her password in.

The suspect the walked the victim back to the basketball court. She started to walk away and when she was sure the suspect had gone, she returned home and called the police.

The victim was supported by specialist officers and was taken to a Haven. Results from forensic testing identified Atumkeze as a suspect.

Atumkeze was arrested on Monday, 11 November and was taken to a south London police station. He fabricated a story telling officers he had been out for a meal in Woolwich with friends who ordered him a taxi home because of his vision problems – he told officers that he was registered blind in both eyes in 2016.

He told detectives that a woman with a buggy helped him out of the taxi and he bumped into a family friend after getting out of the taxi at about 21:10hrs who helped him across the road to his home address. He said he did not see anyone else that evening.

In his interview, he said: “I was shocked when I was arrested by the police. I was thinking this was wrong as I could not have done that.

“Due to my physical problems I could not commit crimes. I cannot do that crime as I am blind. I am a virgin so I could not have done this.”

Atumkeze told officers he was familiar with the concrete area where the offence occurred and he knew it did not have lighting – adding that is why he does not go there.

Atumkeze was unable to give an explanation to why his DNA was found on the victim, who he claimed to have never seen before.
Detectives examined Atumkeze’s mobile phone and found internet searches such as ‘rape kit’, ‘DNA profiling’ and ‘the importance of DNA in sexual assault.’ He also looked up sexual offences on the Crown Prosecution Service’s website

Atumkeze was charged on Tuesday, 12 November and was convicted as above.

The victim has been left traumatised by what happened. She had to take four months off work following the ordeal and is having counselling.

In a statement read to the court, the victim said: “I became terrified of going out alone. Still to this day I avoid being alone at night outside. I couldn’t sleep. I would hear the slightest noise and be awake. I have become afraid of the night. I have very intense dreams now and I wake up in a cold sweat.

“I’ve lost my independence and self-reliance. I’m not like I was before and am now more reliant on others. I’ve started suffering panic attacks and anxiety. I’ve lost weight and my appetite. I find that suddenly I will have a flashback to what happened, this causes me further anxiety.

“I’m finding it hard to trust people, especially men, even though rationally I know not all men are going to hurt me.

“I have reached out to a few friends for support as I knew this was too big for me to carry alone. It was hard talking about what happened, it made me feel uncomfortable and it took a lot of courage but I needed the support as well.

“I have male friends that I would go out with for a meal or the cinema. Now I find it really hard to trust anyone, I don’t want physical contact. I don’t know when I’ll feel able to just go out as I did before. I find it very difficult to be close to a guy, or think about being intimate. It was always my goal to get married and have a family. Now I worry because I cannot get close to anyone and what if this doesn’t change?”

MetPolice Newsdesk