Nigerian jailed for life after stabbing UK student to death

A UK court has sentenced 40-year-old Adedapo Adegbola to life imprisonment for the murder of his former girlfriend, 23-year-old university student Steph Irons, in Nottingham, England.

According to Irish Reports on Thursday, Adegbola was sentenced by Nottingham Crown Court after admitting to killing Irons at her Mapperley home on October 21, 2025, following the breakdown of their short-lived relationship. The court heard that the pair met while working together and briefly dated before parting ways.

Prosecutors told the court that Adegbola became obsessed with Irons after their breakup, ordering two knives online and travelling by taxi to her home. He attacked her as she stepped outside to take out the trash, then forced his way into the house, stabbing her repeatedly.

The alarm was raised when Irons’ colleagues received alarming messages from her phone. Police later discovered her body in the living room, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

After the killing, Adegbola reportedly fled, discarding bloodstained clothing and other evidence along streets in Mapperley and Carlton. Nottinghamshire Police said he moved through Mansfield, Worksop, Sheffield, and Hull before eventually surrendering. Although he declined to speak during questioning, investigators reconstructed his movements before and after the murder.

The judge sentenced Adegbola to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 25 years.

Detective Inspector Stuart Barson, the lead investigator, described Irons as a “kind and compassionate young woman” whose life was cut short in “terrifying circumstances.” He added that Adegbola made no attempt to seek medical help for her, choosing instead to flee and dispose of evidence.

In a victim impact statement, Irons’ mother said her daughter’s death had left the family devastated. The family described the slain student, who aspired to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology, as loving, caring, and full of promise.