The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, convicted and sentenced an 18-year-old man for money laundering linked to a lottery scam involving gift cards.
On October 30, 2026, Justice Dipeolu found Hassan Usman Olamilekan guilty of one count of money laundering under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The charge stated that he indirectly disguised the origin of $800 in gift cards, which made up part of the proceeds of his unlawful activity. 
Olamilekan pleaded guilty to the charge. After the court reviewed the facts presented by EFCC operative Ebuka Abanga, Justice Dipeolu convicted him and sentenced him to a fine of N200,000. The court also ordered him to remit N1,000,000 to the Federal Government of Nigeria. Olamilekan is therefore to remain in the correctional centre until he pays the fine and restitution.
In addition, the court ordered the forfeiture of an iPhone 11 Pro and a Poco C71 mobile phone recovered in connection with the offence.
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He Sent Gift Cards to His Grandmother’s OPay Account
Investigation by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 revealed that Olamilekan, who claimed to hail from the Republic of Benin but was born in Nigeria. According to the EFCC, he was involved in lottery scams and 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 app. EFCC says that while impersonating a white American woman named Julie Leach, Olamilekan told the victim that he had won a lottery prize of $250,000,000 and needed money to activate the winnings before he could claim the prize. He then persuaded the victim to send him gift cards.
The anti-graft agency added that Olamilekan later 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 from a total of $800 from the fraudulent scheme.
EFCC Arrested 21 Suspects at Applewood Estate
Olamilekan was among 21 suspected internet fraudsters arrested by EFCC operatives during a sting operation at Applewood Estate, Orchid Road, Lekki, Lagos State, on October 26, 2026.
The EFCC recovered five exotic cars during the operation, and after preliminary investigation, 19 of them were indicted, and two were released.
Olamilekan’s case is the first conviction to come out of the Applewood Estate raid. The other 18 indicted suspects are still expected to face court.
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