By Emmanuel Thomas l Lagos
A SHAMELESS serial swindler who helped crooks launder cash from a massive £2.8 million bank raid has been slapped with a fresh prison sentence.
Oluokun Gabriel Adekola, a career criminal with a history of international scams, was handed another three years behind bars by a judge in Lagos yesterday.
The 2026 sentencing comes as a blow to the fraudster, who was exposed as a key player in a sophisticated mobile banking hack that targeted First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
The court heard how Adekola teamed up with a gang of high-tech “ghost” hackers to siphon a staggering N3.09 billion (£2.8 million) from innocent customers’ accounts.
While his accomplices remain on the run, investigators from the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) traced N12 million (£11,000) directly to Adekola’s personal account. The dirty money was then “washed” through high-street Point of Sale (POS) agents to hide the paper trail.
This isn’t Adekola’s first brush with the law. In a shocking twist, it was revealed he is already serving a 20-year sentence handed down in 2020 for a heartless “romance-style” scam.
In that case, he fleeced a Taiwanese national out of $22,300, proving he is a “recidivist” who simply refuses to go straight.
Defending lawyer Fabian Nwaforji pleaded for mercy, claiming his client was “remorseful” and had already spent four years in custody. However, Justice Rahman Oshodi wasn’t buying it.
Describing the crime as “aggravated money laundering,” the judge ordered:
Three years of fresh jail time.
Restitution of N3.5 million to be paid back to the bank within three months.
”This is a case of money laundering aggravated by the defendant’s status as a repeat offender,” Justice Oshodi noted during the ruling.
While the “masterminds” behind the £2.8 million heist are still at large, authorities say this sentencing sends a clear message to the “mules” who help them hide the loot.
