Four Nigerians, six others jailed 55 years for phone robberies in UK

Four Nigerians, six others jailed 55 years for phone robberies in UK

LONDON — A United Kingdom court has sentenced 10 members of a violent phone robbery syndicate, including four Nigerians, to a combined 55 years in prison for a string of attacks on mobile phone stores across London and southeast England.

The Metropolitan Police disclosed on Monday that the convicts — David Akintola, Ayomide Olaribiro, Olabiyi Obasa, and David Okewole, all Nigerians — were sentenced alongside James Adodo, Robert Hills, Nelson Joel, Michael Babo, Mushtakim Miah, and Laville Bloise following a months-long investigation.

According to the statement, the gang carried out 13 coordinated robberies between September and November 2024, targeting mainly EE retail outlets. The suspects used threats of violence to force staff to open secured stock rooms, carting away high-end smartphones and gadgets worth about £240,000.

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“Officers were able to link suspects to the crimes through DNA evidence, call data, and vehicle records,” the Met Police said.
“They observed the group as they prepared for further offences, and on November 19, 2024, officers moved in to arrest four of the men in the act at an EE shop in Kilburn.”

Subsequent raids on the suspects’ residences led to the recovery of stolen devices and additional evidence tying them to the robberies.

The suspects were charged with conspiracy to rob, and eight of them pleaded guilty at the Kingston Crown Court on January 30, 2025. Sentencing took place on Friday, November 7.

Below are the sentences handed down:

• James Adodo, 10 years’ imprisonment
• David Akintola, 6 years and 6 months
• Michael Babo, 6 years and 10 months
• Robert Hills, 5 years and 3 months
• Ayomide Olaribiro, 4 years and 6 months
• Nelson Joel, 3 years and 3 months

The remaining defendants — including Olabiyi Obasa, David Okewole, Mushtakim Miah, and Laville Bloise — are expected to receive their sentences later this month, according to the police.

The Met Police praised the “professionalism and courage” of its officers who stopped the gang “before they could strike again,” noting that the operation underscored its commitment to cracking down on organised retail crime across the city.

Four Nigerians, six others jailed 55 years for phone robberies in UK