A man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender as the manhunt to find Abdul Ezedi continues at pace, with a new CCTV image also released today.
The 22-year-old was arrested at around 01:45hrs this morning, Monday 5 February, at a London address and taken in custody. This afternoon he was released on bail pending further enquiries.
Commander Jon Savell said: “Our message here is clear – if you are harbouring Ezedi we will find and arrest you. This man is a dangerous individual who has changed forever the lives of a family – we are doing everything we can to trace him and that includes targeting his associates.
“We believe there are other people helping him. We would ask anyone with information to contact us as a matter of urgency – a £20,000 reward remains on offer for information that leads to Ezedi’s arrest.
”We are enormously grateful for the help of the public who have been calling in with information. So far around 100 people have called our dedicated 24/7 hotline, and around another 100 have contacted forces across the country. Please keep these calls coming – we are following up every single piece of information.
”We have also received an update today from doctors treating the 31-year-old woman injured in the attack. She remains sedated in a critical but stable condition. She has severe facial injuries that will likely, very sadly, impact the rest of her life.
”If you are helping Ezedi think about that – a mother with two young children whose life is now changed forever through this horrific attack. Do the right thing and come forward.”
Today we have also released a new CCTV image of Ezedi’s last known sighting after leaving Tower Hill tube station on Wednesday, 31 January, the night of the attack.
The image captures him at 21:47hrs on Allhallows Lane, EC3.
A skilled team continue to painstakingly examine hundreds of hours of CCTV footage to track Ezedi’s next movements.
The manhunt is being led and co-ordinated by the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, with a team of more than 100 officers dedicated to the investigation from across a range of areas and specialisms including experienced detectives through to local neighbourhood officers.
We have the expertise of the Counter Terrorism fugitive team who are highly experienced in leading manhunts and tracking offenders via CCTV. The Met is also being supported by dozens of officers from forces across the UK including Northumbria and British Transport Police. We remain in liaison with the National Crime Agency, the Home Office, UK Border Force and UK Visas and Immigration.
Details of Ezedi have been circulated to all UK police forces and ports.
Anyone with information is asked to call our 24/7 hotline on 020 7175 2784 or for an immediate sighting dial 999.
To remain anonymous, please contact the independent charity Crimestoppers.
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Updated timeline of Ezedi’s movements on Wednesday, 31 January
- 00:15 – Ezedi’s vehicle is seen in Newcastle
- 06:30 – His vehicle is then seen traveling into Tooting, London
- 16:30 – A further sighting of his vehicle is confirmed in Croydon
- 19:00 – He is then seen driving in Streatham
- 19:25 – Attack takes place in Lessar Avenue, SW4, before Ezedi makes off in his vehicle which crashes nearby. He leaves the car and runs off.
- 19:33 – Ezedi boards a train at Clapham South Tube Station.
- 19:59 – He is then seen leaving that train at King’s Cross Tube Station.
- 20:42 – He is then seen on CCTV leaving Tesco at 21 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DX. He exits and turns right.
- 21:00 – Ezedi enters King’s Cross Tube Station and boards a Victoria Line tube southbound.
- 21:10 – He gets off at Victoria Tube Station and heads towards the district line.
- 21:16 – Ezedi boards an eastbound District Line train.
- 21:33 – Ezedi exits Tower Hill Tube Station.
- 21:47 – He is seen on Allhallows Lane, EC3 (image released today). We are working to establish his next movements.
