A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced an 18 year old man for money laundering linked to a gift card scam.
Justice Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on 30 October 2026, found Hassan Usman Olamilekan guilty of the offence. Olamilekan was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a single count charge of money laundering, contrary to Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The charge stated that Olamilekan, sometime in 2026 in Lagos, indirectly disguised the origin of the sum of 800 United States Dollars in gift cards, which formed part of the proceeds of his unlawful activity.
The defendant pleaded guilty. An EFCC operative, Ebuka Abanga, reviewed the facts of the case before the court. Justice Dipeolu convicted Olamilekan and sentenced him to a fine of 200,000 Naira. The court also ordered him to remit the sum of 1,000,000 Naira to the Federal Government of Nigeria. He is to remain in the Correctional centre pending the payment of the fine and the restitution.
The court ordered the forfeiture of an iPhone 11 Pro and a Poco C71 mobile phone recovered in connection with the offence.
Investigations revealed that Olamilekan, who claimed to hail from the Republic of Benin but was born in Nigeria, was involved in lottery scams. He operated several social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Zangi and iMessage.
He met his victim, Gary Brewer, a United States citizen, through the Zangi application. Olamilekan impersonated a white American woman identified as Julie Leach. He told the victim that he had won a lottery prize of 250,000,000 United States Dollars and needed money to activate the winnings before claiming the prize. He persuaded the victim to send gift cards through the Zangi application.
The defendant admitted selling the gift cards through the Cardsonic application, converting them to Naira and transferring the proceeds to his grandmother’s OPay account. He confessed to benefiting a total of 800 United States Dollars from the scheme.
Olamilekan was among 21 suspected internet fraudsters arrested by operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the EFCC during a sting operation at Applewood Estate, Orchid Road, Lekki, Lagos State, on 26 October 2026.
By John James
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