diff --git a/backends/arm/_passes/arm_pass_utils.py b/backends/arm/_passes/arm_pass_utils.py
index afb2d82a2fc..1e0c21239e2 100644
--- a/backends/arm/_passes/arm_pass_utils.py
+++ b/backends/arm/_passes/arm_pass_utils.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 
 import torch
 import torch.fx
+from executorch.backends.arm.tosa_utils import get_node_debug_info
 from executorch.exir import ExportedProgram
 from executorch.exir.dialects._ops import ops as exir_ops
 
@@ -169,9 +170,13 @@ def get_first_fake_tensor(node: torch.fx.Node) -> FakeTensor:
     else:
         fake_tensor = node.meta["val"]
 
-    assert isinstance(
-        fake_tensor, FakeTensor
-    ), f'Found {fake_tensor} in meta["val"] of {node}, expected to find FakeTensor.'
+    if not isinstance(fake_tensor, FakeTensor):
+        raise TypeError(
+            f'Expected a FakeTensor in meta["val"] of node {node}, but got '
+            f"{type(fake_tensor).__name__}\n"
+            f"{get_node_debug_info(node)}"
+        )
+
     return fake_tensor
 
 
diff --git a/backends/arm/tosa_utils.py b/backends/arm/tosa_utils.py
index 54efdb1bbf2..92972182097 100644
--- a/backends/arm/tosa_utils.py
+++ b/backends/arm/tosa_utils.py
@@ -30,9 +30,13 @@ def dbg_node(node: torch.fx.Node, graph_module: torch.fx.GraphModule):
     logger.info(get_node_debug_info(node, graph_module))
 
 
-def get_node_debug_info(node: torch.fx.Node, graph_module: torch.fx.GraphModule) -> str:
+def get_node_debug_info(
+    node: torch.fx.Node, graph_module: torch.fx.GraphModule | None = None
+) -> str:
     output = (
         f"  {inspect_node(graph=graph_module.graph, node=node)}\n"
+        if graph_module
+        else ""
         "-- NODE DEBUG INFO --\n"
         f"  Op is {node.op}\n"
         f"  Name is {node.name}\n"