Fake Army ‘Lieutenant’ Jailed for Customs Car Scam

​ADO-EKITI — A 2-year prison sentence has been handed down to Bethel Onyedikachi Ukachukwu by the Ekiti State High Court after he pleaded guilty to orchestrating a fraudulent car auction scheme involving the Nigeria Customs Service.

​Presiding over the case, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye delivered the judgment following a prosecution led by the Ekiti Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Ukachukwu faced a three-count amended charge centered on obtaining money by false pretenses and criminal conversion.

​Court proceedings revealed that the convict targeted his victim, Mr. Kayode Aina Samuel, by falsely posing as a Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army. Operating under this fabricated military identity, Ukachukwu collected ₦500,000 on April 15, 2026, under the pretext that he would secure a winning bid for an auctioned vehicle through the Nigeria Customs Service.

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​Instead of fulfilling the agreement, the fraudster converted the funds to his personal use and failed to deliver either the vehicle or a refund, prompting the victim to petition the anti-graft agency.

​During the trial, EFCC prosecution counsel Saidu Yusuf presented evidence and called upon Prosecution Witness 1, Emmanuel Onuminya, who formally tendered exhibits that were admitted by the court. Confronted with the overwhelming evidence, the defendant entered a guilty plea.

​Defense counsel T.A. Salami urged the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that his client was remorseful and had already made full financial restitution to the petitioner.

​In his final ruling, Justice Ogunmoye convicted Ukachukwu on all counts, sentencing him to two years imprisonment with an option of a ₦150,000 fine. The convict has since been remanded at the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre to begin serving his sentence.