An 18-year-old Nigerian, Hassan Usman Olamilekan, has been convicted by the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, for his involvement in a gift card scam that cost an American citizen $800.
Justice Dipeolu delivered the judgment on Friday, October 30, 2026, after Olamilekan pleaded guilty to a one-count money laundering charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court ordered him to pay a fine of ₦200,000 and return ₦1 million to the Federal Government as restitution. He is to remain in a correctional facility until the payments are made. The judge also directed that his iPhone 11 Pro and Poco C71 mobile phones be forfeited.
According to the EFCC, Olamilekan allegedly contacted his victim, an American identified as Gary Brewer, through the Zangi messaging application. He reportedly posed as a white American woman named Julie Leach and claimed to have won a $250 million lottery.
The teenager allegedly told Brewer that he needed money to activate the lottery winnings before he could access the prize. Using the story, he persuaded the American to purchase and send gift cards worth $800.
The EFCC said Olamilekan later sold the gift cards through the Cardsonic application, converted the proceeds into naira and transferred the money into his grandmother’s OPay account.
The anti-graft agency stated that the defendant admitted receiving $800 from the fraudulent scheme.
The charge accused him of indirectly concealing the origin of $800 in gift cards, which the prosecution described as proceeds of unlawful activity.
The EFCC also disclosed that Olamilekan claimed to be from the Republic of Benin but was born in Nigeria. Investigators said he operated several social media and messaging platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Zangi and iMessage, which were allegedly used in fraudulent activities.
Olamilekan was reportedly among 21 suspected internet fraudsters arrested during an EFCC operation at Applewood Estate, Orchid Road, Lekki, Lagos, on October 26, 2026.
The conviction and sentence followed his guilty plea to the money laundering charge filed by the commission.
