‘Pow, pow, pow’: Rapper is charged incorrectly for petrol, so he decides to become a ‘dangerous offender’ and kill everyone

A rapper named Omar Abdirizak, who performs as Twista Cheese, has been sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison. The 32-year-old was given the sentence at Birmingham Crown Court this week after attacking a petrol station with a homemade flamethrower. The judge called him a “dangerous offender,” which is a serious legal label.

According to The Sun, the attack happened at the Holloway Head Service Station in Birmingham. CCTV cameras caught Abdirizak using a weapon made from an aerosol can and a lighter. He caused damage inside the shop, then went outside to the forecourt. 

He was filmed shooting flames into the air right next to the petrol pumps, which could have caused a massive explosion. The whole incident started over a small argument. Abdirizak claimed he was charged wrong for petrol and didn’t get the cigarettes he paid for. He got angry about this and decided to attack the station with his makeshift flamethrower.

The violent attack put innocent lives at serious risk

Video footage showed Abdirizak blasting flames at a scared worker inside the station. He then climbed through the service window and jumped over the counter while still aiming fire at the employee. The worker backed away as far as possible and finally gave him a pack of cigarettes just to make him leave.

Before going outside, Abdirizak used his flamethrower to destroy a Tango Ice Blast machine near the entrance. This caused almost £7,000 worth of damage to the equipment. The attack put everyone at the station in serious danger, especially when he started shooting flames near the fuel pumps. Rappers getting involved in controversies isn’t new, as seen when Justin Bieber confused fans with rebranding.

During court proceedings, it came out that Abdirizak has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. When a probation officer interviewed him, Judge Sunil Khanna said the rapper shared “terrorist ideologies” and had “misogynistic and racist views.” The probation officer decided that Abdirizak was a high risk to the public.

This isn’t Abdirizak’s first time in trouble. He became well-known in 2024 for a viral TikTok video he made during civil unrest. In the video, he cursed about far-right figure Tommy Robinson, talked about guns and artillery, and made a shooting gesture while saying “pow, pow, pow.” The video was watched millions of times on social media.

Tommy Robinson himself shared the video and said it was a death threat against him. Abdirizak got 20 weeks in jail for that incident back in March. The music industry has seen its share of scandals, including Ashton Kutcher’s revelations about rapper parties. After the January petrol station attack, he pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and arson.