London Robbery Ring: Four Nigerians, Six Others Get 55 Years Behind Bars

By: Akinde S. Oluwaseun

It started like something out of a fast-paced crime flick — a string of phone store robberies across London, bold and messy. For months, they hit shop after shop, slipping in and out with boxes of high-end devices. But the end came quicker than they thought.

Four Nigerians — David Akintola, Ayomide Olaribiro, Olabiyi Obasa, and David Okewole — along with six other men, have now been handed a combined 55 years in jail. Kingston Crown Court dropped the gavel last Friday. Hard.

Between September and November 2024, the crew reportedly pulled off 13 raids, mostly on EE outlets. Threats, locked rooms, frightened staff — the usual story. Police said the gang made off with phones worth nearly £240,000 before the net closed in.

DNA, call data, even car records — the detectives followed every breadcrumb. And on one chilly November day, the officers pounced. Four of the men were caught red-handed in a Kilburn EE shop. No escape.

After months of digging, ten suspects were finally charged. Eight of them admitted guilt to conspiracy to rob. The sentences? Brutal, but expected. James Adodo got 10 years. Akintola — six and a half. Okewole — seven and a half. The rest, varying between three and six years.

And just like that, the curtain fell on London’s phone heist crew. No more quick cash. No more stolen phones. Just time — lots of it — to think about what went wrong.