Court sentences fraudster to two years over N500,000 car auction scam

By Imisioluwa Afunmiso

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

Ukachukwu was prosecuted by the Ekiti Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a three-count amended charge bordering on obtaining by false pretense and fraudulent conversion.

The EFCC told the court that the convict fraudulently obtained N500,000 from Kayode Aina Samuel on April 15, 2026, after falsely claiming he would use the money to secure an auctioned vehicle through the Nigeria Customs Service.

According to the charge, the defendant knowingly made the false representation with intent to defraud an offense contrary to Sections 1(1)(b) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

He was also charged with dishonestly converting the N500,000 entrusted to him for the specific purpose of purchasing a vehicle on behalf of the complainant, 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.Following the plea, prosecution counsel Saidu Yusuf called an EFCC operative, Emmanuel Onuminya, as the sole prosecution witness and tendered documentary evidence before the court.

The exhibits were admitted into evidence, after which the prosecution urged the court to convict the defendant in line with his guilty plea.

Counsel to the defendant, T.A. Salami, pleaded for leniency, informing the court that his client had shown remorse for his actions and had fully restituted the complainant.

In his judgment, Justice Ogunmoye convicted Ukachukwu and sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment with an option of a N150,000 fine.

The court also heard that the convict had falsely presented himself as a Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army to gain the complainant’s confidence before obtaining the money under the pretext of facilitating the vehicle purchase.

The EFCC stated that the promised vehicle was never delivered and the money was not refunded until its investigation led to the defendant’s arrest and prosecution.