But Derby Mayor says reassurance for Derby people ‘comes from action, not words alone’
The scene of the stabbing back in May 2025(Image: Joseph Raynor/ Reach PLC)
A request to the Government from the Mayor of Derby and a city councillor to hold an independent inquiry into the circumstances which led to the murder of a restaurateur by an asylum seeker is “actively being considered”.
Mayor Councillor Ajit Atwal, who was a personal friend of victim Gurvinder Singh Johal, who was stabbed to death in Lloyds Bank in St Peter’s Street last May, and opposition Conservative group leader Councillor Steve Hassall wrote initially to the Home Secretary at the end of October requesting the inquiry following the trial of Somalian asylum seeker Haybe Cabdiraxmaan Nur, who pleaded guilty to the murder.
He was sentenced to life in prison – a minimum of 24 years and 191 days.
The letter to the Government said: “Residents in Derby deserve answers. A family has been left devastated and confidence in city centre safety continues to decline. We are calling for urgent accountability and meaningful reform to ensure that tragedies like this are never repeated.”
The response has finally come, with an apology for the delay, from Alex Norris, Minister for Border Security and Asylum.
It said: “First and foremost, I want to express my deepest shock and sadness at the horrific events that took place in Derby. Please know that the Government regards matters like this with the utmost seriousness.
“Mr Singh Johal was clearly a cherished and respected member of his community, and it is truly abhorrent that such a senseless act has taken his life. My thoughts are with his family, friends and everyone affected by this devastating crime.
“To clarify, as reported widely in the media, Haybe Cabdiraxmaan Nur arrived in the UK by small boat in 2024 and subsequently claimed asylum, but the Home Office refused his asylum claim.
“Thank you for raising this request for an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Haybe Cabdiraxmaan Nur. Please be assured that we are actively considering this matter.”
Gurvinder Singh Johal, known as Danny to friends
Mr Norris added that “foreign nationals who commit crimes should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them. Any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity”.
He said: “For those placed in asylum accommodation, such accommodation is non-detained, meaning asylum seekers are free to come and go from the sites. However, no one in the UK is above the law.”
Mr Hassall said he welcomed the response and said: “In particular, the fact that the request for an independent inquiry is being actively considered rather than dismissed outright. Given the seriousness of what happened in Derby, I would have hoped for a more definitive commitment at this stage.
“However, the fact that the door remains open is a positive step in the right direction and one that both the Mayor and I intend to continue pressing firmly.
“There were without doubt serious mistakes made throughout this process. Most fundamentally, this individual, and others like him, should never have been in the country in the first place. That is the hard truth that residents rightly expect politicians to confront.
“The Home Office letter sets out, at length, an overview of the asylum and deportation framework. While this may read well on paper, it does little to reassure local people that the system is actually working in practice.
“I will be responding formally to this letter to reiterate the call for a full, independent inquiry. The people of Derby deserve clear answers, not general assurances. This case must be properly examined, lessons must be learned, and meaningful changes must follow.”
Restauranteur Mr Johal, 37, known as Danny, was stabbed as he stood in a queue inside the bank. He and Nur were total strangers and the motive for the shocking stabbing, in which the blade of the knife was left inside Mr Johal’s body, may never be known.
An hour before the fatal stabbing, the 47-year-old killer, of Western Road, Normanton, had called a migrant charity saying he was going to either kill himself or another person.
Mayor Mr Atwal said he would continue to work alongside Mr Hassall “to press for a thorough and independent examination of this case”.
He added: “The Home Office response is a welcome acknowledgement of the seriousness of what happened in Derby, and I am encouraged that the request for an inquiry is being considered. That in itself is an important signal to residents that their concerns are being heard.
“However, reassurance comes from action, not words alone. The people of Derby quite rightly expect transparency, accountability, and firm steps to ensure that a tragedy like this can never be allowed to happen again.
“Our priority is, and always will be, the safety of our communities and restoring confidence that the systems designed to protect them are fit for purpose.”
Previously, Derby South MP Baggy Shanker says he has requested a review into the prison sentence handed to Nur. He told a Derby City Council meeting in November that he was “actively working” on the case and requested a sentence review on behalf of Mr Johal’s family.
At the same meeting, a motion was put forward by Conservative councillor Jonathan Smale which called for the council to request a statutory public inquiry to the Government also but this was adjourned.