FRIENDS of a schoolboy stabbed to death over a “dirty look” on a bus yesterday hailed him as a “true soldier”.

Nassirudeen Osawe, 16, died after being stabbed in the chest during a fight in Islington, north London. The comments, on a tribute website, raised speculation that he was caught up in gang-related violence. But his family insisted he was an innocent victim.

Osawe’s death took the toll of killings of teenagers in London to record levels. He was the 26th murdered there this year, nearly double the 2006-7 number.

According to friends, Osawe was stabbed after a teenager from Hackney, a neighbouring borough, felt insulted when he gave him a “dirty look” on a bus at 2.30pm on Thursday. A fight broke out, spilling onto the pavement.

Upper Street, which is lined with shops and bars, was packed. Osawe was killed and one of his friends, aged 17, was taken to hospital with stomach injuries, although his condition is not serious.

Osawe, of Highbury, north London, was an ex-pupil of St Aloysius college in Highgate. Another pupil, Martin Dinnegan, 14, was stabbed to death in Islington in June.

Osawe had moved on to St Charles Catholic sixth form college in North Kensington to do his A-levels, where he excelled in art. His mother said he wanted to work in the computer games industry.

Jackie Guy, 40, a family friend, said: “His mother is devastated. She can’t eat or sleep and has been shaking all day.”

Two teenagers were arrested. Detectives yesterday released an 18-year-old on bail, while a 17-year-old was still being questioned.

Police are also concerned about a surge in gangs using CS gas. Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Ball, head of Operation Trident, the Metropolitan police campaign against gun crime in the black community, said criminals were turning to the gas to avoid tougher sentences for carrying knives or guns.

The illegal sprays, available on the internet for £10, cause choking and vomiting.

A 20-year-old man was shot in the head and killed last night in Walworth, southeast London. Operation Trident officers are investigating.

Times Recommends

• UK regional accents thrive against the odds
• ‘Scarecrow’ wind farms put rare birds to flight
• What an anti-climax: G-spot is a myth