Oyo High Court Sentences ‘Crime Alert’ to 63 Years in Prison for Investment Fraud

Olaniyan Gbenga Amos, widely known as “Crime Alert,” has been sentenced to a total of 63 years in prison by Justice Olusola Adetujoye of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan. The conviction, delivered on Monday, follows multiple charges of investment-related fraud brought against Amos and his company, Detorrid Heritage Investment Limited.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through its Ibadan Zonal Directorate, had charged Amos and his firm with 30 counts involving obtaining money under false pretences. The offences are in violation of Section 1(1)(a) and are punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.

One of the charges revealed that on June 18, 2020, Amos and his firm fraudulently collected ₦995,000 from one Bada Titilope under the pretext of registering and investing the money in Crime Alert Security Network, promising a 30 percent return within six weeks. Similarly, another charge stated that on January 29, 2020, they defrauded Onifade Isaac Olawale of ₦920,000 under the same false investment promise.

Amos initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, prompting the EFCC’s counsel, Sanusi Galadanchi, to open the prosecution’s case on February 17, 2022. During the trial, eight witnesses were called, and several pieces of evidence were presented, labeled as “Exhibits A to H.” The prosecution concluded its case on January 24, 2023.

Following this, the defence filed a “no case submission,” which was dismissed by the court. The judge ordered that the accused present his defence. On October 17, 2024, Amos testified for himself and on behalf of his company, marking the end of the defence’s presentation.

After considering the final written submissions from both sides, the court fixed judgment for April 28, 2025.

During Monday’s ruling, Justice Adetujoye found Amos guilty on nine counts—specifically counts 6, 16 through 19, and 21 through 24. He was sentenced to seven years for each of these counts. However, he was acquitted of the remaining charges, including counts 1–5, 7–15, 20, and 25–30. The sentences are to run concurrently. Additionally, the court ordered Amos to compensate the defrauded individuals.

This is not Amos’ first conviction. On December 14, 2023, Justice Bayo Taiwo of the same court had sentenced him to 75 years in prison in a separate but similar case. He is also facing two other ongoing fraud trials at the Federal High Court in Ibadan.

Amos’s recent conviction stems from his arrest and arraignment by the EFCC on December 14, 2021. Authorities allege that he operated fraudulent investment schemes that resulted in losses exceeding ₦1 billion for unsuspecting investors.