Court jails Applewood Estate fraudster over $800 gift-card scam
The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced Hassan Usman Olamilekan for laundering $800 obtained through a gift-card scam.
Justice Dipeolu handed down the sentence on 30 October 2026, after Olamilekan pleaded guilty to a one-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) Lagos Zonal Directorate 1. The charge was filed under sections 18(2)(a) and 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
*Hassan Olamilekan
Nkereuwem Effiong
The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced Hassan Usman Olamilekan for laundering $800 obtained through a gift-card scam.
Justice Dipeolu handed down the sentence on 30 October 2026, after Olamilekan pleaded guilty to a one-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) Lagos Zonal Directorate 1. The charge was filed under sections 18(2)(a) and 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
The charge alleged that Olamilekan disguised the origin of $800 in gift cards, which represented proceeds of unlawful activity. He pleaded guilty.
After an EFCC operative, Ebuka Abanga, reviewed the facts of the case, the court found Olamilekan guilty and convicted him. Justice Dipeolu fined him ₦200,000 and ordered him to pay ₦1 million to the Federal Government. He is to remain in custody at a correctional centre until he pays the fine and the ordered sum.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of an iPhone 11 Pro and a Poco C71 mobile phone, which were recovered in connection with the offence.
The EFCC said its investigation found that Olamilekan, 18, claimed to be from the Republic of Benin but was born in Nigeria. It said he was involved in lottery scams and operated several social-media accounts and platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Zangi and iMessage.
According to the EFCC, Olamilekan contacted the victim, Gary Brewer, a United States citizen, through the Zangi app and impersonated an American woman named Julie Leach. He allegedly told Brewer that he had won a $250 million lottery prize and needed money to release the winnings. He then persuaded Brewer to send gift cards.
Olamilekan admitted selling the cards through the Cardsonic app, converting them into naira and transferring the proceeds to his grandmother’s OPay account. He said he received a total of $800 from the scheme.
Olamilekan was among the 21 suspected internet fraudsters the EFCC operatives arrested during a sting operation at Applewood Estate on Orchid Road, Lekki, Lagos, on 26 October 2026. Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity, issued the statement and made it available to journalists on Monday, 2 November 2026.
