EFCC: Fake soldier bags two-year jail term for N500,000 vehicle scam

Justice Lekan Ogunmoye of the Ekiti State High Court in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced Bethel Onyedikachi Ukachukwu to two years’ imprisonment for defrauding a man of N500,000 under the guise of securing a vehicle through a Nigeria Customs Service auction.

The conviction followed the prosecution of the defendant by the Ekiti Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a three-count amended charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and dishonest conversion.

According to the EFCC, Head, Media & Publicity, Dele Oyewale, Ukachukwu fraudulently collected N500,000 from Mr. Kayode Aina Samuel on April 15, 2026, after promising to use the money to bid for an auctioned vehicle on his behalf through the Nigeria Customs Service.

Investigations, however, revealed that the claim was false and the money was diverted for personal use.

One of the charges stated that the defendant obtained the money with the intent to defraud, contrary to Sections 1(1)(b) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

Another charge accused him of dishonestly converting the N500,000 entrusted to him for the purchase of a vehicle, an offence contrary to Section 295(2)(f) and punishable under Section 302(1) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read before the court.

Following the guilty plea, EFCC prosecuting counsel, Saidu Yusuf, called the Commission’s first witness, Emmanuel Onuminya, who presented documentary evidence and exhibits linking the defendant to the offences. The court admitted the exhibits, and the prosecution urged the court to convict the defendant accordingly.

Counsel to the defendant, T.A. Salami, pleaded for leniency, informing the court that his client had shown remorse and had made restitution to the victim.

In his judgment, Justice Ogunmoye convicted the defendant and sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment with an option of a ₦150,000 fine.

The court also heard that the convict had falsely presented himself as a Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army to gain the confidence of his victim before collecting the money under the pretence of procuring a vehicle through a government auction.

Rather than fulfil the promise, he neither delivered the vehicle nor refunded the money, prompting the victim to petition the EFCC.

The anti-graft agency said the case underscores its commitment to combating advance fee fraud and other financial crimes, warning members of the public to verify claims relating to government auctions and other investment opportunities before parting with their money.

Ukachukwu had been remanded at the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre before the conclusion of his trial. His conviction marks another successful prosecution by the EFCC in its ongoing efforts to tackle fraud and protect Nigerians from financial scams.