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Two teenagers who carried out a string of violent robberies after luring victims through Facebook Marketplace listings have been jailed.
Bilal Jama, 18, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison, while Michael Ogbeide-John, also 18, received a four-year sentence at Manchester Crown Court yesterday.
Both had earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery and one of attempted robbery, with Ogbeide-John also admitting to possession of a bladed article.
The pair targeted innocent victims between December 2024 and January 2025, arranging fake meetings to sell bikes on Facebook Marketplace before ambushing their buyers.
The first incident took place on 20 December 2024, when a man arranged to buy a grey mountain bike advertised on Facebook under the name ‘Angela Davies’.
He met the supposed seller the next day on Naburn Street, Manchester.
CCTV later showed Jama and Ogbeide-John, their faces covered, approaching the victim.
Feeling threatened, the man tried to run, but the pair caught him, pushed him to the ground, and robbed him of £130 – the money he had brought to buy the bike.
A week later, on 30 December 2024, they struck again. Another victim had arranged to buy a red mountain bike from an account named ‘Billz Jay’.
As he followed Jama down an alleyway to view the bike, Ogbeide-John attacked him from behind, placed his arm around the victim’s neck, and pressed something sharp under his chin.
As one victim followed Jama [left] down an alleyway to view the bike [right], Ogbeide-John attacked him from behind, placed his arm around the victim’s neck, and pressed something sharp under his chin
The pair attacked the man on December 30. The man lost consciousness and was later found by a passer-by with seven jaw fractures, requiring reconstructive facial surgery with six metal plates
The man lost consciousness and was later found by a passer-by with seven jaw fractures, requiring reconstructive facial surgery with six metal plates.
Detectives soon linked the two violent robberies but before arrests could be made, the teens targeted a third victim on 21 January 2025.
Using another fake profile, ‘Jacob Verona’, they arranged to meet a man who wanted to trade an e-bike and £80 in cash. The victim’s father came along for safety but the pair confronted them, demanding the bike.
Ogbeide-John allegedly told the victim: ‘Give me the bike… I’m taking the bike, either nicely or nastily,’ before threatening the father with, ‘Do you want me to stab you?’ Fearing for their lives, they handed over the bike.
Police poured over hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and appealed for public assistance.
On 24 January, officers spotted Ogbeide-John walking past Longsight Police Station and arrested him on suspicion of robbery. Evidence later led to Jama’s arrest two days later.
Both were charged with four counts of robbery, and detectives confirmed all incidents were linked.
Detective Inspector Natalie McDonald, from GMP’s Manchester Central Neighbourhood Crime Team, said: ‘These were carefully planned attacks on innocent members of the public, that left their homes in the morning to go and buy a bike.
Bilal Jama, 18, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison
‘They trusted in good will and the actions that greeted them were truly appalling.
‘As a team, we worked relentlessly to find out what happened, we were working against the clock as we knew the pair would strike again if they were not stopped.
‘The crimes were carried out purely for greed, they lured the victims in and knowing they had money on them and then violently robbed them of their cash and we hope the sentence passed today can give some comfort for the victims to know that these two males have been jailed to think about their actions.’
‘Police have urged online shoppers to remain vigilant when arranging in-person sales, particularly through social media platforms.’