The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced an 18-year-old Hassan Olamilekan, for laundering $800 obtained through a gift card fraud scheme. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying Olamilekan was sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of money laundering.
The charge was filed under Section 18(2)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same law. According to the EFCC, Olamilekan fraudulently obtained $800 in gift cards from a United States citizen, Gary Brewer, whom he allegedly met through the Zangi messaging application.
The commission said the defendant impersonated an American woman identified as Julie Leach and convinced the victim that he had won a $250 million lottery prize but needed to pay money to activate the winnings. He allegedly persuaded Brewer to send him gift cards which he later sold through the Cardsonic application and converted into naira.
The EFCC said investigations revealed that the proceeds were transferred to his grandmother’s OPay account. During the investigation, Olamilekan reportedly admitted participating in the scheme and benefiting from the $800 proceeds. The court imposed a fine of ₦200,000 and ordered him to pay ₦1 million in restitution to the Federal Government.
He is to remain in the correctional centre until the payments are made. It also ordered the forfeiture of an iPhone 11 Pro and a Poco C71 mobile phone recovered in connection with the offence. The anti-graft agency further disclosed that Olamilekan was among 21 suspected internet fraudsters arrested during an operation at Applewood Estate, Orchid Road, Lekki, on October 26, 2026.
