An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced a man, Bethel Onyedikachi Ukachukwu, to two years’ imprisonment for defrauding a resident of ₦500,000 through a fake Nigeria Customs Service vehicle auction scheme.
Justice Lekan Ogunmoye recently delivered the judgement after convicting Ukachukwu on amended charges bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and dishonest conversion.
The prosecution was handled by the Ekiti Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the EFCC, the convict deceived Kayode Aina Samuel into paying ₦500,000 with the promise of securing an auctioned vehicle through the Nigeria Customs Service.
Investigations later revealed that the representation was false, as the defendant neither obtained the vehicle nor refunded the money.
One of the charges stated that Ukachukwu fraudulently obtained the sum from the victim on April 15, 2026, under the guise of using it to bid for an auctioned vehicle, an act contrary to the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
Another charge accused him of dishonestly converting the ₦500,000 entrusted to him for the purchase of a vehicle, contrary to the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the amended charges.
Following the guilty plea, prosecution counsel Saidu Yusuf presented the EFCC’s first witness, Emmanuel Onuminya, and tendered documentary evidence before the court.
Justice Ogunmoye admitted the exhibits and subsequently upheld the prosecution’s request to convict the defendant.
In mitigation, defence counsel T.A. Salami urged the court to show leniency, arguing that the defendant had expressed remorse and had already made restitution to the complainant.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ogunmoye sentenced Ukachukwu to two years’ imprisonment with an option of a ₦150,000 fine.
The EFCC disclosed that the convict also falsely claimed to be a Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army to gain the confidence of his victim before collecting the money under the pretext of facilitating the vehicle purchase.
The anti-graft agency said the fraudulent transaction marked the beginning of the convict’s legal troubles, which eventually led to his arrest, prosecution and remand at the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre before the conclusion of his trial.
The EFCC reiterated its commitment to prosecuting fraud-related offences and urged members of the public to verify claims involving government auctions and other investment opportunities before parting with their money.
