EFCC: Court Jails 18-Year-Old Applewood Estate Suspect Over $800 Gift Card Fraud
The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced an 18-year-old internet fraud suspect, Hassan Usman Olamilekan, for money laundering involving $800 in gift cards.
Justice Dipeolu handed down the judgment on October 30, 2026, following Olamilekan’s arraignment by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a one-count charge of money laundering.
The charge bordered on disguising the origin of $800 obtained through gift cards, contrary to Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Olamilekan pleaded guilty to the charge. Following a review of the case facts presented by an EFCC operative, Ebuka Abanga, the court found him guilty and convicted him accordingly.
The judge sentenced him to a fine of N200,000 and ordered him to remit N1 million to the Federal Government of Nigeria as restitution. He is to remain in the correctional centre pending payment of the fine and restitution.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of an iPhone 11 Pro and a Poco C71 mobile phone recovered in connection with the crime.
According to the EFCC, investigations revealed that Olamilekan, who claimed to be from the Republic of Benin but was born in Nigeria, engaged in lottery scams using several social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Zangi and iMessage.
He reportedly met his victim, Gary Brewer, a United States citizen, through the Zangi application, where he allegedly impersonated a white American woman identified as Julie Leach.
The suspect allegedly told Brewer that he had won a $250 million lottery prize but needed money to activate the winnings before claiming the reward.
He subsequently persuaded the victim to send gift cards through the messaging application.
Olamilekan reportedly admitted selling the gift cards through the Cardsonic application, converting the proceeds into naira and transferring the money to his grandmother’s OPay account.
He confessed to making a total of $800 from the fraudulent operation.
The EFCC disclosed that Olamilekan was among 21 suspected internet fraudsters arrested during a sting operation at Applewood Estate, Orchid Road, Lekki, Lagos State, on October 26, 2026.
