Four Nigerians, Six Others Jailed 55 Years for London Phone Robberies

A London court has sentenced four Nigerians and six other men to a combined 55 years in prison for a series of violent phone store robberies that terrorised the city.

According to the Metropolitan Police, the gang — which included David Akintola, Ayomide Olaribiro, Olabiyi Obasa, and David Okewole — carried out at least 13 armed robberies between September and November 2024, targeting EE mobile outlets and other tech stores across London and nearby towns.

The gang used threats and intimidation to force employees to open secure stockrooms, escaping with mobile phones and electronic devices worth around £240,000.

Detectives linked the suspects to the robberies through DNA samples, phone records, and vehicle tracking data. Police surveillance eventually caught up with them in November 2024 during a botched attempt to rob an EE store in Kilburn.

Raids on multiple properties uncovered stolen goods and other incriminating evidence tying the suspects to earlier heists.

Eight members of the gang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob on January 30, 2025, and were sentenced by Kingston Crown Court on November 7.

Their sentences include:

• 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 — Laville Bloise and Mushtakim Miah — pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and received two years (suspended) and eight years, six months, respectively.

The Metropolitan Police praised the operation that led to the gang’s downfall, describing it as “a significant step in dismantling a violent network responsible for terrorising commercial districts across London.”