'Say no to knife and yes to life' - Northampton mum's emotional plea after son's murder

• Joyce Osei-Poku spoke to ITV News Anglia about how her son's death had devastated her family.

The mother of a university student who was stabbed to death over a drug turf war has urged young people to "say no to knives and yes to life".

Joyce Osei-Poku, 40, lost her son Kwabena Osei-Poku, 19, also known as Alfred, after he was fatally stabbed in April 2023.

She said: "The person who kills with a knife - they don't know the potential of what they are doing. But the problem is the family and the loved ones left behind."

Mr Osei-Poku was murdered in an argument over cannabis while he was a student at the University of Northampton.

Ms Osei-Poku urged those that carry knives to think about the impact on the families of their victims.

She said her daughter was now too frightened to use a kitchen knife while cooking after what happened to her brother.

"Seeing what happened to Alfred has had a huge impact on our family. My younger girl is having difficulty using a knife now, she's scared.

"In the last seven months, I cannot remember the last time I had a good sleep.

"The young boys that are going out and putting knives in people, maybe they don't know what they are carrying or what they are doing to the community and the people around them, maybe they don't care. But we, the family, are the ones going through a lot."

On 23 April this year Melvin Lebaga-Idubor and Ogechi Eke went to the University's campus after telling Mr Osei-Poku that they wanted to buy a large quantity of cannabis from him.

In reality, Lebaga-Idubor used the meeting to steal Mr Osei-Poku's cannabis and to warn him off from selling drugs on "his" patch.

A fight broke which broke out on New South Bridge Road in Northampton resulted in Lebaga-Idubor fatally stabbing the 19-year-old student.

Ms Osei-Poku paid tribute to her son, saying: "Alfred is my first son, he was my best friend. He is somebody who had a loving soul, he was selfless. He was very kind, he was a boy that loved people. A boy that loved his community."

In a six-week trial at Northampton Crown Court, Lebaga-Idubor was found guilty of murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

Eke was found not guilty of murder and cleared of a further charge of manslaughter.

Lebaga-Idubor and Huian will be sentenced at Northampton Crown Court in January 2024.

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