Court Orders 18-Year-Old Fraudster To Pay ₦1.2m Over $800 Lottery Scam

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted an 18-year-old man, Hassan Usman Olamilekan, for money laundering after he admitted obtaining $800 from a United States citizen through a fake $250 million lottery scheme.

Justice Dipeolu convicted Olamilekan on October 30, 2026, after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The court imposed a fine of ₦200,000 and ordered him to pay an additional ₦1 million to the Federal Government, bringing his total financial obligation to ₦1.2 million. He is to remain in a correctional centre pending payment of the fine and the ordered amount.

The judge also directed the forfeiture of two mobile phones recovered in connection with the offence: an iPhone 11 Pro and a Poco C71.

According to the EFCC, Olamilekan defrauded an American citizen, identified as Gary Brewer, through the Zangi messaging application, where he allegedly impersonated a woman named Julie Leach.

Investigators said the 18-year-old told Brewer that he had won a $250 million lottery prize but needed money to activate the winnings before he could collect the supposed prize.

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The fabricated lottery story reportedly persuaded the American to send gift cards worth $800 through the messaging platform.

The EFCC said Olamilekan admitted selling the gift cards through the Cardsonic application, converting the proceeds into naira and transferring the money into his grandmother’s OPay account. He also admitted benefiting from the $800 obtained through the transaction.

The commission said the defendant operated several social media and messaging accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Zangi and iMessage, which investigators linked to his fraudulent activities.

The charge against him accused him of indirectly disguising the origin of $800 in gift cards, which represented proceeds of unlawful activity. The offence was brought under Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Following his guilty plea, an EFCC operative, Ebuka Abanga, presented the facts of the case before the court. Justice Dipeolu subsequently found him guilty and convicted him.

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 arrest was carried out by operatives of the commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, four days before his conviction.

The EFCC disclosed the conviction in a statement issued on Monday through its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, as part of its ongoing efforts to prosecute financial and cyber-related crimes.