Drive-By Killer Seeraj Ayub Jailed For 33 Years Over Birmingham Murder
Seeraj Ayub, 25, sentenced to 33 years at Birmingham Crown Court for the fatal drive-by shooting of 19-year-old Ali Riyan in Washwood Heath.
A 25-year-old man who fled the country after participating in a fatal drive-by shooting in Birmingham has been jailed for 33 years for murder.
Seeraj Ayub, 25, of Alexander Road, Birmingham, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday 16 October 2026 after being found guilty by a jury in November 2025.
Ayub was convicted following a West Midlands Police homicide investigation into the murder of 19-year-old Ali Riyan, who was shot in the Washwood Heath area of the city on 19 October 2024.
The court heard that on the evening of 18 October 2024, the day prior to the fatal shooting, Riyan was one of four men recruited via Snapchat by Faieq Ghazanfar to execute a targeted firearms attack on a residential property in Poppy Grove, Alum Rock.
Ghazanfar sent the group an image of the targeted property, instructing them to discharge eight gunshots and film the attack.
As the group travelled to execute the planned shooting, they came under fire. All four men were subsequently jailed for their involvement in that firearms conspiracy.
On the following evening, 19 October 2024, Riyan and a friend were riding an e-bike along Alderson Road in Washwood Heath at approximately 10:15pm when a black Mercedes carrying Ayub began pursuing them.
When the e-bike came to a halt on Alderson Road, the Mercedes pulled alongside and an initial gunshot was fired from a rear passenger window.
Riyan and his companion attempted to ride away, but the vehicle pursued them before a second gunshot was discharged from the car, striking Riyan.
A member of the public discovered the injured teenager, initiated CPR and contacted emergency services. Paramedics transported Riyan to hospital with critical injuries, where he died two days later on 21 October 2024.
Detectives from the West Midlands Police Homicide team reviewed extensive CCTV footage to identify the black Mercedes and track Ayub’s movements.
On the evening of Riyan’s death, Ayub fled the United Kingdom. He subsequently re-entered the UK via a ferry from Dublin on 28 January 2025, where police officers arrested him upon arrival.
Ayub exercised his right to remain silent during police interviews before being formally charged with murder.
Following his trial conviction in November 2025, Senior Investigating Officer Jenny Birch expressed hope that the 33-year sentence would bring a measure of peace to Riyan's family following the team's work to secure justice.
