Rapper who shot rival in the head in drive-by attack is jailed for life – after being found guilty of second attempted murder
British rapper DigDat has been sentenced to life in prison for shooting a rival artist six times with a stolen vehicle in Notting Hill.
The drill artist, whose real name is Nathan Tokosi, struck Daniel Offei-Ntow in the head, mouth and body after approaching him in West London on November 23, 2023.
Old Bailey heard the 27-year-old victim was “lucky he didn’t die” and was found “shocked and seriously injured” by police at his home a short time later.
Traces of blood from the scene led police to Offei-Ntow, where they discovered the Mitsubishi Outlander riddled with bullet holes and its interior covered in blood.
A latex glove and a black bag containing a firearm and three bullets were seized near where Tokosi’s Audi was abandoned.
The London-born rapper’s family wept as he was sentenced to at least 24 years in prison on Tuesday. He was convicted of attempted murder and firearms offenses in two trials last year.
The court heard that Offei-Ntow died recently but his death was not linked to the shooting and no third party was involved.
Prosecutor Kate Bex KC had previously said Tokosi, 26, was one of at least two people in the stolen Audi that stopped next to Mr Offei-Ntow’s vehicle.
Rapper Nathan Tokosi (pictured), better known by his stage name DigDat, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in a drive-by shooting in Notting Hill
Daniel Offei-Ntow (pictured), 27, was shot six times in the head, mouth and body when Tokosi, 26, fired into his car from a stolen Audi early on November 20, 2023. Offei-Ntow has since died, but his death was unrelated to the shooting.
Ms Bex said at least six shots were fired through the rear passenger window and investigators found DNA belonging to artist Kamal Benjamin, also known as Tokosi and Wesson, in the Audi used for the attack.
Further inquests revealed that Tokosi had borrowed a BMW to travel from his father’s home in Deptford, south-east London, to Notting Hill for two consecutive nights that weekend, the jury heard.
Ms Bex said it was clear Tokosi was involved in crime and there was “no innocent explanation” for the BMW and Audi being in the same location in west London.
But further evidence showed that Benjamin, whose DNA was found at the scene, had left England in the days before the shooting.
Mr. Benjamin posted a video on Instagram of Lil Durk performing in Dubai four days before the shooting.
Another post the following month showed him at a nightclub with rapper 50 Cent, who was performing in Dubai on December 21, 2023.
Before signing collaborations with the likes of Aitch and Headie One, Tokosi rose to prominence as a drill artist with his single Air Force peaking at number 20 in the UK singles chart in 2018.
But the jury heard he was caught up in the ‘fast’ and ‘chaotic’ lifestyle that continued throughout his career and had been convicted nearly 13 times before.
Tokosi, 26, had a UK top 20 single with 2018’s Air Force and collaborations with Headie One and Aitch (filmed at Wireless Festival in 2021)
But the court was told the artist was caught up in the ‘fast’ and chaotic lifestyle that continued throughout his career.
His history of violence dates back to when he was just 11 years old, when he punched a girl in the face and later punched and kneed a boy in the head in separate incidents four months apart.
At the age of 13, the defendant was convicted of attempted murder for stabbing the victim in the ribcage during a fight and was sentenced to seven years in juvenile detention and three years on extended licence.
Shannon Revel, defending, said: ‘He described how his job as a rapper had become a de facto existence rather than something he could devote time to.’
‘Achieving success so quickly gave Tokosi no real time to think.’
In the attempted murder case last February, Tokosi was also found guilty of possession of a self-loading pistol and ammunition with intent to endanger life and possession of prohibited firearms and ammunition.
Following his second Old Bailey trial in November, Tokosi was also found guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition on 4 February 2024.
The jury heard that Tokosi borrowed a BMW to travel from his father’s home in Deptford, south-east London, to Notting Hill for two consecutive nights that weekend.
Helen Shaw, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: ‘This was an utterly mindless attack that nearly cost a life.
‘That night, Nathan Tokosi clearly intended to kill his victim by shooting him in the head at close range; CCTV revealed Tokosi had driven around the area several times in a stolen Audi in the days and hours before the shooting.
‘The Crown Prosecution Service was determined to ensure that Tokosi was tried for the full extent of his crime and we hope that today’s sentence will offer some closure to the victim’s family.’
Detective Inspector Chris Shepherd, of the Mid-South District Command Unit, said: ‘Tokosi’s actions were pre-planned, reckless and malicious. He lied at trial, claiming he had nothing to do with the shooting.
‘The police investigation to bring Tokosi to trial reflects our intolerant approach to gang violence on London’s streets.
‘I would like to thank the investigation team for their work to bring Tokosi to justice, as well as the officers and medical staff who treated the victim following the shooting.’
