A routine Sunday afternoon on Balham High Road, South London, turned into horror when 67-year-old Nigerian grandfather James Gbadamosi was violently assaulted in broad daylight on August 24, 2025. The attack left him with life-threatening injuries, and despite battling for almost two weeks in hospital, he tragically died on September 5—a case now upgraded to murder.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Monday that Andre Wright-Walters, 37, has been rearrested and charged with murder following Gbadamosi’s death. Wright-Walters was initially picked up in August on charges of grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a Class A drug. He was arraigned at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on August 28, where he was controversially granted bail despite the severity of the attack.
Detectives revealed that the case escalated swiftly after Gbadamosi succumbed to his injuries. On Saturday, September 6, Wright-Walters was rearrested and charged with murder. He appeared before Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court again on Monday, September 8, where the charge was formally read. The development has sparked renewed debate over the UK’s bail system and how it handles violent crime suspects.
A second suspect, a 30-year-old woman, is also under investigation. She was first arrested on August 27 for alleged conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm and was rearrested on September 6 on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. Police confirmed she has since been released on bail while inquiries continue, but her potential role in the attack is now under scrutiny.
The murder of Gbadamosi, described by neighbors as “a gentle and hardworking man,” has rattled the Nigerian community in London. Advocacy groups are demanding swift justice, noting that Nigerians have increasingly become targets of violent crime across UK cities. Calls are growing for the Nigerian High Commission to monitor proceedings closely and ensure the case does not drag through the courts without resolution.
Police are appealing for more witnesses and CCTV evidence from Balham High Road around the time of the assault, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on August 24, urging anyone with information to come forward. Investigators believe more details will emerge that could clarify the motive and the level of planning involved.
With the murder charge now filed, Wright-Walters remains in custody, and detectives say the case will move quickly to the Crown Court. For Gbadamosi’s grieving family, both in London and Nigeria, the hope is that justice is swift and uncompromising for the man they say was “killed for nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
