A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos convicts an 18-year-old, Hassan Usman Olamilekan, over money laundering tied to $800 obtained from a scam involving a US citizen. The court finds that he disguised the origin of the money, which was linked to gift cards used as proceeds of unlawful activity.
Justice Dipeolu hands down the conviction after Olamilekan pleads guilty to a one-count money laundering charge brought by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The case is prosecuted under Nigeria’s Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the court imposes penalties including a fine, restitution to the Federal Government, and orders regarding devices recovered in connection with the offence. Outlets differ slightly on how they describe the scam—some refer to a lottery framing, others to gift card fraud—but all describe laundering of $800 connected to US involvement.
EFCC details reported across outlets describe the charge and the court’s sentencing steps, including payment conditions for custody and forfeiture of specific phones. The overall reporting remains consistent that the conviction concerns laundering proceeds derived from $800 extracted through a gift-card-type scam targeting an American victim.
