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

Ten members of a robbery syndicate including four Nigerians, have been sentenced to a combined 55 years in prison by a UK court for orchestrating a series of violent mobile phone store raids across London.

The convicts, identified as David Akintola, Ayomide Olaribiro, Olabiyi Obasa, and David Okewole , were found guilty alongside six others following a detailed investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

The gang targeted electronic and telecommunications outlets, stealing mobile devices worth approximately £240,000 during 13 coordinated robberies between September and November 2024.

Authorities said the gang frequently stormed EE retail stores, using threats and intimidation to force staff into unlocking secured storage rooms before fleeing with high-value stock. Their operations came to an end when forensic and digital evidence, including DNA traces, vehicle records, and call data, linked them to several crime scenes.

Police officers arrested four of the suspects in a dramatic operation at an EE store in Kilburn on November 19, 2024, after tracking their movements for weeks. Subsequent searches of their residences yielded stolen goods and further proof of their involvement.

Eight of the ten defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob and were sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on November 7, 2025. Individual sentences ranged from two to ten years, with the harshest term handed to 35-year-old ringleader James Adodo.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Durham described the verdict as “a strong message that organised retail crime and violence against shop workers .

He added that the sentencing marked the culmination of a meticulous investigation that dismantled an organised network responsible for months of fear and financial losses across London’s retail sector.