Teenagers jailed after violent Manchester robberies arranged through Facebook
Bilal Jama and Michael Ogbeide-John targeted victims using fake marketplace ads
Last updated 15th Oct 2025
Two teenagers have been jailed for a series of violent robberies in Manchester after luring victims through fake Facebook Marketplace listings.
Following an investigation by the Longsight Neighbourhood Crime Team, Bilal Jama, 18, of Kingsmere Avenue, Levenshulme, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison, while Michael Ogbeide-John, 18, of Meldon Road, Longsight, was jailed for four years.
Both were sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on 14th October 2025 after pleading guilty to three counts of robbery and one of attempted robbery. Ogbeide-John also admitted possession of a bladed article.
Between December 2024 and January 2025, Jama and Ogbeide-John arranged meetings with victims who believed they were buying bicycles advertised online. Instead, the pair ambushed and assaulted them, taking cash and property.
In one attack, a victim was lured by a Facebook profile under the name “Angela Davies” to Naburn Street on 21st December 2024, where he was robbed of £130 in cash after being pushed to the ground and strangled.
Days later, another man was left with seven jaw fractures and needed reconstructive facial surgery after being attacked during an arranged meeting in an alleyway between Naburn Street and Daisybank Road. CCTV footage captured Ogbeide-John assaulting the victim and searching his wallet.
“I’m taking the bike, I can do it nicely or nastily”
In January 2025, a third incident saw a father and son approached by the pair after arranging a bike swap with a Facebook user named “Jacob Verona”. Ogbeide-John reportedly told the victim: “I’m taking the bike, I can do it nicely or nastily,” before threatening to stab the pair.
The victims surrendered the bike to avoid injury.
Detectives linked the three robberies through CCTV and online evidence, eventually identifying the teenagers. Ogbeide-John was arrested outside Longsight Police Station on 24th January 2025, and Jama was detained two days later.
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. 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... 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.”