Nigerian Teenager Jailed Seven Years in UK Over Violent Robbery, Blackmail

A 19-year-old Nigerian, Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola, has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment in the United Kingdom for his role in a violent robbery and blackmail operation in which party guests were threatened, assaulted and humiliated.

Akinrinola, of Slippers Place, London, was sentenced alongside his co-defendant, Richile Vangu, 20, who received an 11-year prison sentence after both men were convicted at Leicester Crown Court.

The court heard that the duo participated in a carefully planned attack at a party held in North Kilworth, Leicestershire, on November 21, 2025.

According to prosecutors, Vangu orchestrated the robbery and recruited Akinrinola and others to carry out the operation.

During the attack, at least eight party guests were forced into a bedroom where they were threatened with a large “zombie-style” knife while expensive designer clothing and an iPhone were stolen from them.

The court heard that Vangu also demanded that each victim transfer £1,000, threatening to stab them in the leg if they refused.

In a further act of humiliation, the victims were allegedly forced to perform a TikTok dance several times while Vangu photographed their student identity cards to identify where they lived.

Delivering judgment, Judge Steven Evans described Vangu as the mastermind behind the robbery, stating that he had recruited a group of young men, including Akinrinola, to execute the crime.

The judge noted that Vangu introduced himself as “Trixta,” describing him as someone who behaved “like a villain from the movies.”

Although the judge observed that Akinrinola appeared to play a subordinate role to Vangu, he ruled that the Nigerian teenager nevertheless played “an essential part” in the offences.

The violence reportedly continued later the same day after some victims failed to transfer the demanded money.

They were allegedly ordered to a student accommodation building on Bath Lane, where Akinrinola forced some of them to perform star jumps and high knees before repeatedly punching them.

The court also heard that Vangu whipped several victims with a belt, shot them in the head with a BB gun, waxed their faces and threatened to cut off their dreadlocks if they failed to pay.

Judge Evans described the ordeal as one in which the victims were “tortured” and “humiliated.”

Evidence presented during the trial showed that Vangu later uploaded videos of the incidents to TikTok.

During sentencing, the judge said Vangu displayed a “complete absence of empathy” towards the victims, noting that he laughed while evidence from the attacks was presented before the jury.

A Probation Service report also concluded that Vangu appeared to have “enjoyed humiliating and targeting” the victims.

Vangu was convicted of four counts of robbery, 10 counts of blackmail and one count of actual bodily harm. He had earlier pleaded guilty to another count of actual bodily harm and was also handed a three-year extended licence period after completing his prison term.

Akinrinola was convicted of nine counts of blackmail, four counts of robbery and two counts of actual bodily harm. He was, however, acquitted of one count of blackmail.

Meanwhile, two other defendants, Benjamin Osadolor, 19, of Pytchley Street, Northampton, and Ayomide Ibraheem, 19, of Sedan Way, London, were found not guilty of all charges after the court ruled there was insufficient evidence linking them to the offences.