The Federal High Court in Lagos State has sentenced a man, Olukeye Adeayo Olalekan, to 76 years in prison after convicting him of multiple offences including child pornography, cyberstalking, money laundering, and fraud.
The ruling was delivered on Thursday by Justice Alexander Owoeye, who found Olalekan guilty of all charges brought against him.
The convict had faced an 18-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which included offences related to the distribution and possession of child pornography, cyberstalking, concealment and retention of criminal proceeds, and obtaining property by deception.
According to EFCC’s counsel, Mrs. Bilkisu Buhari-Bala, the offences violated provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015, and the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, as well as the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Olalekan had initially pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned on September 6, 2023, before Justice Y.G. Ringim. The matter was later reassigned for fresh hearing before Justice Kehinde Ogundare, and finally, it was transferred to Justice Owoeye, who concluded the trial.
During proceedings, the EFCC presented five witnesses, including two of its investigators. Their testimonies were instrumental in establishing the case against the defendant.
Buhari-Bala explained that the British Columbia Serious Crime Unit had begun investigating the murder of 14-year-old Robin Janjus, who was found dead in her residence.
“Digital forensics on the victim’s phone led authorities to social media accounts operated by the convict.
“An undercover operation was subsequently launched, revealing that the convict had posed as a female from North Carolina.
“Through platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram, he solicited and obtained property under false pretences, threatened to transmit nude images of minors, and engaged in multiple fraudulent transactions involving gift cards and cryptocurrency,” she said.
Upon conclusion of the trial, Justice Owoeye found Olalekan guilty on every count and sentenced him to a total of 76 years imprisonment.
Advertisement
