Four Nigerian nationals involved in a violent phone-snatching gang that terrorised several areas of London have been handed a combined prison sentence of 55 years by the Kingston Crown Court in the United Kingdom.
The UK Metropolitan Police disclosed this in a statement on its website on Monday, outlining the coordinated operation that led to the suspects’ arrest and prosecution.
The convicted individuals were named as David Akintola, Ayomide Olaribiro, Olabiyi Obasa, and David Okewole.
Others sentenced alongside them were James Adodo, Robert Hills, Nelson Joel, Michael Babo, Mushtakim Miah, and Laville Bloise.
According to the Metropolitan Police, the gang carried out 13 armed robberies between September and November 2024, targeting high-value mobile phones and electronic devices from retail outlets across London and surrounding areas.
“The group primarily targeted EE stores, using intimidation and threats of violence to compel staff to open secure stockrooms before escaping with high-end mobile phones and other gadgets. In total, they stole items worth approximately £240,000,” the statement read.
Investigators were able to tie the suspects to the crimes through DNA samples, call records, and vehicle tracking data.
Police surveillance teams monitored the group’s activities and, on November 19, 2024, moved in to arrest four members caught attempting another robbery at an EE outlet in Kilburn.
Search operations conducted at several addresses linked to the suspects led to the recovery of stolen items and additional evidence connecting them to earlier robberies.
All ten suspects were charged to court, with eight pleading guilty to conspiracy to rob on January 30, 2025. They were subsequently sentenced on Friday, November 7, 2025.
Their sentences are as follows:
James Adodo, St. Martins Road, Dartford, Kent, 10 years imprisonment.
David Akintola, Samuel Street, Woolwich, 6 years, 6 months.
Michael Babo, Gilbert Close, Woolwich, 6 years, 10 months.
Robert Hills, Mayfield Road, Gravesend, Kent, 5 years, 3 months.
Ayomide Olaribiro, Warrior Square, Manor Park, 4 years, 6 months.
Nelson Joel, St. Martins Road, Dartford, Kent, 3 years, 3 months.
Olabiyi Obasa, Norfolk Close, Dartford, Kent, 3 years, 6 months.
David Okewole, Vale Road, Northfleet, Kent, 7 years, 6 months.
Two other members, who pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, also received separate sentences:
Laville Bloise, Goldcrest Close, Thamesmead, 2 years imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Mushtakim Miah, Artillery Place, Woolwich, 8 years, 6 months imprisonment.
The Metropolitan Police commended the investigating officers for their diligence, noting that the successful convictions have dismantled a dangerous network responsible for a spate of violent commercial robberies across London.
