Four Nigerians, others jailed 55 years for London robberies
Story by Mercy Adaje
Four Nigerians have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms in the United Kingdom for their roles in a violent robbery syndicate that targeted mobile phone stores across London.
The convicts — identified as David Akintola, Ayomide Olaribiro, Olabiyi Obasa, and David Okewole — were part of a ten-member gang that carried out a series of coordinated raids on electronics and telecommunications outlets, mainly EE stores.
Kingston Crown Court handed the group a combined 55-year jail sentence after finding them guilty of conspiracy to rob between September and November 2024.
According to the Metropolitan Police, the gang executed 13 robberies across the UK, using threats and intimidation to force staff to unlock secure storage rooms before escaping with mobile phones and devices worth about £240,000.
Detectives said the breakthrough in the case came after forensic and digital evidence linked the suspects to multiple crime scenes. DNA traces, call records, and vehicle data helped investigators track the gang’s movements, leading to their arrest on November 19, 2024, during an attempted robbery at an EE store in Kilburn.
A search of the suspects’ homes led to the recovery of stolen items and further evidence connecting them to previous crimes.
Eight of the suspects pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob on January 30, 2025, and were sentenced on November 7 after months of court proceedings.
The sentences are as follows:
James Adodo – 10 years
David Akintola – 6 years, 6 months
Michael Babo – 6 years, 10 months
Robert Hills – 5 years, 3 months
Ayomide Olaribiro – 4 years, 6 months
Nelson Joel – 3 years, 3 months
Olabiyi Obasa – 3 years, 6 months
David Okewole – 7 years, 6 months
Two others received lighter sentences after admitting to attempted robbery:
Laville Bloise – 2 years (suspended for two years)
Mushtakim Miah – 8 years, 6 months
Police described the case as a significant success in dismantling a violent organised crime network that had instilled fear in retail workers and caused extensive losses across the mobile industry.
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