EFCC Arrests Man For Alleged S3xtortion Of Canadian Teenager

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) Lagos Zonal Command has charged a suspect, Olalekan Olukeye, with 18 counts of child pornography, money laundering, and retention of proceeds of criminal acts.

Dele Oyewale, the acting Head of Media and Publicity of the anti-graft agency, said in a statement released on Saturday, September 30, that Olukeye was arraigned before Justice Tijani Ringim of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, September 29.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Olukeye Adedayo Olalekan (a.k.a hrm877, charlotte 708 and harlilott_716) on or about the 13th February, 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court intentionally used the Instagram virtual network to create a group ” Expose Janjuarobin Nudes” to distribute child pornography and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 23(1) (c) and punishable under Section 23(1)(e) of the of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015.”

He entered a “not guilty” plea to the allegations levelled against him. In light of his plea, prosecution lawyer Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, asked the court for an expedited trial and the defendant’s custody in a Correctional Centre.

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While praying for an accelerated hearing of the matter, Oyedepo stated that “the international image of Nigeria is in jeopardy, as both the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP, and the FBI complained to Nigeria about this matter and how it relates to the sudden death of a 14-year-old minor.”

P.O. Onikoyin, the defendant’s counsel, informed the court that he had filed an application for bail on behalf of his client.

Oyedepo responded by telling the court that he had just been served with the application and would need time to react to it. As a result, the Judge ruled that the defendant be remanded in a Correctional Facility and delayed the case until November 6 and 9, 2023, for the hearing of motions and the start of the trial.

The culprit was apprehended by EFCC operatives on August 4, 2023, in the Akute region of Ogun State, following intelligence received from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP. He allegedly hacked into certain social media accounts, posing as a young attractive woman to seduce unsuspecting victims and requesting sexually explicit photographs, including nude images of a 14-year-old Canadian child.

The investigation discovered that the suspect later utilized the 14-year-old’s naked photographs to blackmail him, which resulted in his death.

A mobile phone containing incriminating documents was found from him during an EFCC search on his home in Ilaro, Ogun State.