Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced Hassan Usman Olamilekan, one of the suspects arrested during the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) sting operation at Applewood Estate, Lekki, over the laundering of $800 obtained from an online gift card fraud.
Justice Dipeolu delivered the judgment on October 30, 2026, after Olamilekan pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of money laundering filed against him by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the EFCC.
According to the charge, the defendant indirectly disguised the origin of $800 in gift cards, being proceeds of unlawful activity, contrary to Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Following the guilty plea, an EFCC operative, Ebuka Abanga, reviewed the facts of the case before the court, after which Justice Dipeolu convicted the defendant.
The court sentenced Olamilekan to pay a N200,000 fine and ordered him to remit N1 million to the Federal Government as restitution. The judge further directed that he remain in a correctional centre until both the fine and restitution are fully paid.
Justice Dipeolu also ordered the forfeiture of an iPhone 11 Pro and a Poco C71 mobile phone recovered in connection with the offence.
Investigations by the EFCC revealed that Olamilekan, 18, who claimed to hail from the Republic of Benin but was born in Nigeria, engaged in online lottery scams using several social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Zangi and iMessage.
The anti-graft agency said he met his victim, identified as Gary Brewer, a United States citizen, through the Zangi messaging application, where he allegedly impersonated a white American woman named Julie Leach.
The EFCC said Olamilekan deceived the victim into believing he had won a $250 million lottery prize but needed to send money to activate the winnings before claiming them. The victim subsequently sent $800 worth of gift cards, which the defendant later sold through the Cardtonic application, converted into naira and transferred to his grandmother’s OPay account.
The defendant admitted benefiting from the entire $800 generated from the fraudulent scheme.
Olamilekan was among 21 suspected internet fraudsters arrested by operatives of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 during a sting operation at Applewood Estate, Orchid Road, Lekki, Lagos State, on October 26, 2026.