A Nigerian identified as  Yusuf Ademola was on Thursday 7 December, jailed for 12 years after police found a shotgun with two rounds of ammunition at a residential address.

Ademola, of Claremont Road, E7, was found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life after a four day trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court which concluded on 19, October 2017.

Ademola and Jessica Soares, 25, of Manor Road, E15, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm at an earlier hearing.

Ademola was sentenced at the same court for 12 years imprisonment. This will commence when his current licence expires in July 2018.

Soares was sentenced on 27 July at the same court to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

On 27 March, officers from the Met’s Trident East Proactive team, with armed officers, carried out a pre-planned operation at Soares’ address.
Upon entry, Soares told the officers that a firearm was being stored in her bedroom behind the cupboard.

She was arrested, and officers found a shortened shotgun with two round of ammunition. She was subsequently charged.

When officers analysed Soares’ phone, they discovered messages exchanged between Soares and Ademola which revealed that she had agreed to hold the firearm on his behalf.

It was also established that just hours before her arrest, she had taken a private hire vehicle to Ademola’s address and collected the firearm.
Forensic examination of the bin liner the shotgun was wrapped in led to the discovery of Ademola’s fingerprints.

Ademola was arrested on 13 June and was subsequently charged. At the time of his arrest, he was on licence from prison having been released from prison in 2016 after serving part of a five-year sentence for possession of a firearm.

Photos: Nigerian man jailed in the UK for possession of firearm

In summing up, the judge, noted that Ademola had maintained his links with gangs even after his previous conviction for possessing a firearm. She referred to a music video that had been posted online showing Ademola and other gang members making reference to guns.

DC Gareth Starr of the Met’s Trident and Area Crime Command said:

“Firearms have no place on London’s streets, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness with which firearms offences are viewed in the eyes of the law.

“Ademola was on licence from prison after being jailed for the same offence and he clearly did not learn his lesson. Soares, out of some misguided sense of loyalty, agreed to hold this dangerous weapon and she has now received a criminal conviction for the costly gamble she took.”

Detective Inspector Steve Meechan, of the Met’s Trident and Area Crime Command, said:

“Tackling gun crime remains a key priority of the Met and Trident officers will continue to target those who choose to store such dangerous weapons.”

Source: ( Linda Ikeji)