By Sabiu Abdullahi
A court in the United Kingdom has sentenced a 19-year-old Nigerian student, Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola, to seven years in prison after convicting him of robbery, blackmail and assault linked to a violent attack on partygoers in Leicestershire.
According to the BBC, Leicester Crown Court also sentenced Richile Vangu, 20, to 11 years’ imprisonment over the same offences. The sentences were handed down on Monday by trial judge Steven Evans.
The court heard that the incident occurred during a house party in North Kilworth, Leicestershire, on November 21, 2025. Evans said Vangu masterminded a plan to intimidate guests with a knife and force them to perform dances that would later appear on social media. He added that Akinrinola was among those recruited to execute the scheme.
The judge said the pair forced at least eight men into a bedroom, threatened them with a large knife and stole designer clothing and an iPhone.
The BBC reported that Vangu demanded £1,000 from each victim. He allegedly threatened to stab anyone who refused to pay before ordering them to perform TikTok dances.
The report stated that some victims who could not transfer the money immediately were instructed to report later that day to student accommodation on Bath Lane.
When they arrived, Akinrinola allegedly forced some of the men to perform star jumps and high knees before punching them several times.
The court also heard that Vangu whipped some of the victims with a belt, fired a BB gun at their heads and threatened to cut off their dreadlocks if they failed to make the requested payments. He later uploaded videos from both locations to TikTok.
While delivering judgment, Evans said Akinrinola had acted under Vangu’s influence. However, he concluded that the Nigerian student played a significant role in the crimes.
The judge held that although Akinrinola was “subservient” to Vangu, he played “an essential part” in the offences.
Vangu was convicted on four counts of robbery, 10 counts of blackmail and one count of actual bodily harm.
Akinrinola was found guilty of nine counts of blackmail, four counts of robbery and two counts of actual bodily harm. The court, however, acquitted him on one count of blackmail.
