Shocking CCTV footage has revealed the moment a notorious Birmingham rapper risked causing a catastrophic explosion by attacking a city centre petrol station with a makeshift flamethrower.
The Flamethrower Attack
Omar Abdirizak, who performs under the name Twista Cheese, created a dangerous improvised weapon using a lighter and an aerosol can at the Holloway Head Service Station. The 32-year-old initially directed flames at a worker during a dispute about being incorrectly charged for petrol and claiming he hadn't received cigarettes he paid for.
In a terrifying escalation, Abdirizak climbed through the service window and over the counter while continuing to aim fire at the terrified employee, who retreated as far as possible to escape the flames. The victim eventually surrendered a pack of cigarettes just to make the rapper leave the premises.
Destruction and Recklessness
But the dangerous incident didn't end there. As clearly visible in the security footage, Abdirizak used his homemade flamethrower to damage a Tango Ice Blast machine near the entrance, causing nearly £7,000 worth of damage.
In what authorities later described as an act of utter recklessness, the rapper then shot flames into the air while standing on the petrol forecourt itself, potentially triggering a massive explosion that could have devastated the entire area.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Following the January 12 incident, Abdirizak actually called the police on himself. When officers arrived, he identified himself as 'Satan' and claimed that 'Allah told me to do it'. The court heard that the Sparkbrook resident suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and has an underlying diagnosis of schizophrenia.
His mental health struggles caused significant delays in the case concerning the petrol station attack, for which he ultimately pleaded guilty to robbery and arson. Abdirizak's barrister Jasvir Mann told the court that his client's mental health issues were connected to cannabis use and that he now felt remorseful for his actions.
However, Recorder Sunil Khanna concluded that Abdirizak remained 'dangerous', noting the risk of catastrophic consequences from his actions at the fuel forecourt. On November 18 at Birmingham Crown Court, he was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison with an extended two-year licence period.
Interestingly, Abdirizak had already been jailed for 20 weeks at Birmingham Magistrates' Court two months earlier for making a threatening TikTok video about right-wing activist Tommy Robinson during the widespread racial unrest in summer 2024.
