Aug 3, 2026

Ekiti Court Jails Man Two Years Over ₦500,000 Car Auction Fraud

By Afolabi Olaiya Idowu in news

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Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria – August 3, 2026 — An Ekiti State High Court has sentenced a fraudster to two years imprisonment for collecting ₦500,000 from a victim under the false pretence of securing an auctioned vehicle from the Nigeria Customs Service.

Justice Lekan Ogunmoye of the Ekiti State High Court, sitting in Ado-Ekiti, convicted and sentenced Bethel Onyedikachi Ukachukwu on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, after the defendant pleaded guilty to three-count amended charges bordering on obtaining by false pretence and dishonest conversion.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ekiti Zonal Directorate, told the court that Ukachukwu collected the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (₦500,000) from Mr. Kayode Aina Samuel on or about April 15, 2026.

He claimed he would use the money to bid for an auctioned car on the victim’s behalf with the Nigeria Customs Service.

Instead, he neither delivered any vehicle nor refunded the money. The Commission further revealed that Ukachukwu had falsely presented himself as a Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army to gain the victim’s trust.

One of the counts specifically accused him of dishonestly converting the ₦500,000 entrusted to him for the purchase of a motor vehicle to his own use, contrary to the Criminal Law of Ekiti State 2021.

Following the guilty plea, prosecution counsel Saidu Yusuf called a witness and tendered exhibits, which the court admitted.

Defence counsel T.A. Salami pleaded for mercy, informing the court that the convict was remorseful and had made restitution to the petitioner.

Justice Ogunmoye subsequently convicted Ukachukwu and sentenced him to two years imprisonment, with an option of a ₦150,000 fine. The convict has been remanded at the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre.

The case forms part of the Commission’s ongoing efforts to combat advance fee fraud and other economic crimes across the country.

The EFCC continues to urge members of the public to verify claims carefully before parting with money, especially in transactions involving auctions, government agencies or individuals posing as security personnel.

The conviction serves as another reminder that those who exploit public trust for personal gain will face the full weight of the law.