She is third person arrested on suspicion of murder of Ayodeji Habeeb Azeez in Anerley

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A 16-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was fatally stabbed in south-east London.

She is the third person to be arrested over the killing of Ayodeji Habeeb Azeez, 22, in Anerley at lunchtime on Sunday 4 November.

The girl was arrested at an address in south London on Friday morning, the Metropolitan police said.

Two men aged 19 and 21 were arrested on suspicion of murder on Sunday and have been released under investigation.

Detectives believe Azeez was attacked by four or five people. A postmortem examination on Tuesday gave his cause of death as multiple stab wounds.

Azeez, from Dagenham, east London, was one of five stabbing victims in the capital in six days.

DCI Mark Cranwell, who is leading the Anerley investigation, appealed for witnesses. “This attack took place in the middle of the day, in broad daylight, in a residential street. It goes without saying that this incident would have stood out in what would normally have been a quiet environment,” he said.

“It appears that four or five male suspects were involved in the attack; both they and Ayodeji were seen to run into Samos Road from Grace Mews. By this point, Ayodeji had been attacked. The suspects fled in one direction, while Ayodeji went the other way before he collapsed.

“We need information from the public to assist us in keeping the momentum of this investigation moving forward.”

On Monday night, John Ogunjobi, 16, died in front of his parents in Tulse Hill, south London. His was the 119th violent death in London so far this year.

DCI Richard Vandenbergh, who is leading the Tulse Hill investigation, said: “We believe the victim was attacked by a number of suspects and the altercation would have undoubtedly drawn the attention of those who were in the vicinity.”

Witnesses are urged to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The other three stabbing victims were Rocky Djelal, 38, Jay Hughes, 15, and Malcolm Mide-Madariola, 17.

Chief Supt Simon Messinger, the commander of the Met’s central south command unit, said extra officers had been drafted into the area following the stabbings.

“We have seen a spate of fatal stabbings in south London recently, with five murders over the course of the last week. One murder is one too many, with the devastation it causes to families, friends and communities difficult to comprehend,” he said.

“Tackling violence is a priority and one which remains at the forefront of all the work we do. This includes utilising our local resources but also supplementing them with resources from across the Met, including the violent crime taskforce.”