A Nigerian man, Olukeye Adeayo Olalekan, has been handed 76 years in jail for cyberstalking, pornography, money laundering and fraud tied to the death of a 14-year-old Canadian.
The Federal High Court, Lagos Division, handed him the lengthy sentence.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission secured the conviction of Mr Olalekan on Thursday.
The anti-graft agency arraigned Mr Olalekan on 18 counts bordering on the distribution and procurement of child sexual abuse materials, cyberstalking, retention and concealment of fraudulent funds, and obtaining property under false pretences.
Mr Olalekan pleaded not guilty to the charges when he was arraigned before Justice Y.G. Ringim on September 6, 2023. However, the case was reassigned to Justice Kehinde Ogundare.
It was again reassigned to Justice Alexander Owoeye.
Mr Owoeye, in his judgment, therefore, found the defendant guilty on all counts and sentenced him to a cumulative 76 years in jail.
The prosecution counsel, who during the trial presented five witnesses, including two investigators, said the investigation revealed that the British Columbia Serious Crime Unit had opened an inquiry into the murder of 14-year-old Robin Janjus, who was found dead at home.
Bilkisu, Buhari-Bala said, “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.”
