A Federal High Court in Lagos State has sentenced Olukeye Adeayo Olalekan to 76 years in prison after finding him guilty of offences including child pornography, cyberstalking, money laundering, and fraud.

Justice Alexander Owoeye delivered the verdict on Thursday after convicting Olalekan on all charges.

He was arraigned on 18 counts involving the “distribution and procurement of child pornography”, “cyberstalking”, “retention and concealment of fraudulent funds”, and “obtaining property under false pretences”, as filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Prosecuting counsel Bilkisu Buhari-Bala stated that the offences violated Sections 23(1)(c) and 23(1)(f), punishable under Section 23(1), 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015, as well as Sections relating to “retention of proceeds of fraud” and punishable under relevant parts of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Olalekan had initially entered a not guilty plea on September 6, 2023, before Justice Y.G. Ringim.

The matter was later reassigned and heard afresh before Justice Kehinde Ogundare, and again before Justice Owoeye.

During the trial, the EFCC called five witnesses, including two investigators whose evidence was central to the conviction.

Buhari revealed that the British Columbia Serious Crime Unit had begun investigating the murder of 14-year-old Robin Janjus, who was discovered dead at home.

“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 added.

Justice Owoeye ruled Olalekan guilty on all charges and sentenced him to a cumulative total of 76 years in prison.

Members of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria plan to consult with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery to gain a clearer understanding of its strategy to begin direct fuel supply to filling stations across the country.

The Executive Secretary of MEMAN, Clement Isong, made this known during a webinar hosted by the association on Thursday.

Isong explained that the marketers also intend to engage the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority along with other key stakeholders as they work to understand the details of the new distribution model introduced by the Dangote refinery.

“At this point, we are watching the market, trying to understand it. We have read it in the news. We need to understand exactly where it impacts and what it impacts before we can have some clarity as to how far it will go in terms of impact.

“And that requires a lot of discussion; discussion with Dangote himself, discussion with the authorities, discussion with other stakeholders. At some point in time, we shall engage and do what is necessary to protect the market should we have to do so. But for now, we are trying to understand exactly what this initiative is and how it will impact the market.

“It would be irresponsible of us to say anything before being clear as to exactly what it means. We are not clear, for instance, whether it means that there is an equalisation policy, whether it means the same price everywhere in the country, we don’t know. Until we have clarity as to exactly what the initiative is, before we can engage,” he said.

Nonetheless, Isong acknowledged that the refinery’s proposal to use Compressed Natural Gas-powered trucks for fuel distribution is a promising development, although he noted the current limitations in infrastructure.

“CNG is a policy of the government. It’s a policy still in implementation. We do not have enough CNG infrastructure in place. So, a lot of planning has to be done to be able to implement it. Bold companies are companies that will take advantage of available opportunities. So, distribution by CNG trucks is one of the available opportunities, so far as you’re able to make it work for you,” he said.

Addressing concerns over possible market dominance and anti-competitive practices, Isong emphasized the importance of regulatory oversight in distinguishing between innovation and harmful dominance.

“It is a continuous debate, a continuous engagement that we all have to help them to find the balance, the equilibrium, and what is best for the market. But we have consistently asked for deregulation, we’ve consistently asked for open market competition, and we’ve consistently said it would bring innovation. This innovation, that is transportation by CNG, is one that we have identified, and we have encouraged our members to take advantage of,” he added.

On Sunday, Dangote refinery announced it would begin the direct delivery of petroleum products to filling stations and stakeholders nationwide. The initiative is set to launch on August 15 using 4,000 brand new CNG-powered trucks.

Nigerian singer and songwriter, Adekunle Gold, has introduced a free healthcare insurance programme called ‘5 Star Care’ to assist individuals living with sickle cell.

He made the announcement on Thursday via Instagram in honour of World Sickle Cell Day.

According to him, the initiative is “starting small” by offering free health insurance to 1,000 sickle cell warriors, aiming to ease the cost of managing the condition.

In his post, Adekunle Gold stated, “Today is World Sickle Cell Day. And today, I’m proud to announce something that’s deeply personal to me. We’re starting small by providing free health insurance to 1,000 people living with sickle cell in Lagos State. But this is only the beginning.

“5 Star Care isn’t just an initiative, it’s a promise. A promise to make sure that sickle cell warriors are seen, heard, and cared for.”

In a video shared alongside the post, the artist — who has previously spoken about living with sickle cell — explained that the programme is being launched through the Adekunle Gold Foundation, in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Health, the Lagos State Health Management Agency, and the Sickle Cell Management Initiatives.

He said, “We believe that every life deserves a 5-star care, no matter where you’re from, what you earn, or what you’re going through.”

He added, “Our goal is simple: to ease the financial burden of managing sickle cell and help more people get the quality care they deserve without stress. And as somebody who’s walked this path, I know how powerful it is to have the right support.”

Adekunle Gold also encouraged eligible individuals to register through the foundation’s website, noting that the effort is only just beginning.