Bancroft’s School mourns 14-year-old British-Nigerian killed in London sword attack

Bancroft’s School on Wednesday mourned 14-year-old British-Nigerian boy, Daniel Anjorin, who died from injuries sustained during a sword attack in London.

The United Kingdom Metropolitan Police released details of the boy killed in the sword attack on Tuesday and explained more details about how the violence unfolded.

The teenager died on Tuesday morning as he walked to school in Hainault, in the east of Britain’s capital, when he was attacked by a man wielding what appeared to be a Samurai-type sword.

In a statement on their website, the police said they arrested the suspect, a 36-year-old man who remained in custody on suspicion of murder. He had not been named as of Wednesday.

The school attended by Anjorin said in a statement on its website that they had been left in “profound shock and sorrow” at the pupil’s death.

“He was a true scholar, demonstrating commendable dedication to his academic pursuits. His positive nature and gentle character will leave a lasting impact on us,” Bancroft, in Woodford Green, near Hainault, wrote.

The police said the horror unfolded just before 7 am when the accused crashed a van into a house fence, hitting a man before stabbing him in the neck.

A 35-year-old man was then attacked inside a nearby property, causing lacerations to his arm.

The suspect then went on to attack Anjorin who, according to the police, tragically died from the injuries.

Police arrived on the scene 12 minutes after the first emergency call and attempted to neutralise the suspect with incapacitant spray and a Taser gun but these had little effect.

The suspect seriously injured two police officers, both of whom required surgery on Tuesday and remained in hospital.

One of the victims, a woman, suffered severe injuries to her arm and nearly lost a hand, the police said.

Before the Wednesday update from the police, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the attack on X.

“This is a shocking incident. My thoughts are with those affected and their families,” he wrote on Tuesday.

He thanked the emergency services for their response and paid tribute to the bravery shown by police on the scene.

Some Nigerians have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to mourn the deceased and console the family. “You did not deserve this, Daniel,” @Ttall posted on Wednesday. @samuelkasumu said Anjorin had his whole life ahead of him, saying he “can’t stop thinking about Daniel and his family. If our hearts are broken, how much more theirs?”

Another user, @melissasigodo, urged sympathisers to keep the deceased’s family in prayer.

“Daniel Anjorin, 14, died in hospital after being stabbed in Hainault. Please keep Mrs Anjorin, her husband and their other children in your prayers,” the user wrote on X.