EFCC Arrests Spiritualist for Alleged Sextortion, Another Bags two years imprisonment for Car auction fraud
By Ogheneyovwe Favour Edomi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested one Odigie Moses, a self-acclaimed spiritualist for alleged sextortion to the tune of $1,100 (One Thousand, One Hundred Dollars).He was arrested in Ekpoma, Edo State.
The suspect, who misrepresented himself on Zelle, a social media payment platform as possessing spiritual healing powers, was contacted by his victim, an Indian woman, who was in need of spiritual intervention on some life-threatening challenges. The suspect subsequently deceived her into taking a naked spiritual bath, which he recorded live without her permission, and thereafter blackmailed her to send him money, else he would make the video public.
Investigation by the EFCC revealed that the victim had to pay the sum of $1,100 to the suspect in order to prevail on him not to release her nudity to the public. Dele Oyewale, EFCC,Head, Media & Publicity said the suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
Also, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye of the Ekiti State High Court, sitting in Ado-Ekiti, on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, convicted and sentenced one Bethel Onyedikachi Ukachukwu to two years imprisonment for car auction fraud.
The convict was arraigned by the Ekiti Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on three -count amended charges bordering on obtaining by false pretence.
Specifically, he collected the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000.00) by false pretence from Mr. Kayode Aina Samuel under the pretext that he will get a bid for an auctioned car for him with Nigeria Customs Service.
Count One reads: “That you, Bethel Onyekachi Ukachukwu, sometimes in 15th April 2026 at Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court with intent to defraud and obtain the total sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira Only (N500,000.00) from one Kayode Aina Samuel under the pretext that you will use the same money to bid for an auction car for him with Nigeria Customs Service which pretext you knew to be false which goes contrary to Section (1) (b) and 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.
Count two reads: “That Bethel Onyekachi Ukachukwu on or about the 15th day of April 2026 at Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court, did dishonestly convert to your own use the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira Only (N500,000.00) being the property of Mr. Kayode Aina Samuel which was entrusted to you for the specific purpose of purchasing a motor vehicle on his behalf and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 295 (2)(f) and punishable under section 302 (1) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State 2021.”
Following the defendant’s guilty plea, prosecution counsel, Saidu Yusuf, called Prosecution Witness 1, PW1, Emmanuel Onuminya and tendered all the exhibits and evidence against the defendant. The court admitted the exhibits as evidence. Thereafter, the prosecution counsel prayed the court to convict the defendant accordingly.
In the same vein, counsel to the defendant, T.A. Salami, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy. He informed the court that the convict was remorseful for his actions and had made restitution to the petitioner.
Thereafter, Justice Ogunmoye convicted and sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment with an option of fine in the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N150,000.00).
The convict’s journey to the Correctional facility began when he falsely presented himself as a Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army and fraudulently obtained the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000.00) from the petitioner under a false pretence of securing a vehicle for him. However, he neither delivered the vehicle nor refunded the money. He has since been remanded at the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre.
Similarly, the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 arraigned one Muhammad Korimi Abdullahi before Justice Maina Lawan of the Borno State High Court, sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Abdullahi was arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust to the tune of N186, 000,000.00 (One Hundred and Eighty-Six Million Naira).
One of the counts reads: “That you, Muhammad Korimi Abdullahi “M” on or about the 14th day of February, 2024 at Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, having been entrusted with the sum of N30,000,000.00 only via electronic transfer to your bank account dishonestly converted same to your own use and thereby committed an offence to wit: criminal breach of trust contrary to section 299 of the Borno State Penal Code Law and other Matters Connected therewith Law, 2023 and punishable under Section 300 of the same Law.”
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the count charges when they were read to him.
Following his plea, prosecution counsel, N.T. Iko prayed the court for a trial date and the remand of the defendant in a Correctional Centre.
Justice Lawan thereafter adjourned the matter till September 7, 2026 and remanded the defendant in Maiduguri Maximum Correctional Centre.
Abdulahi’s journey to the Correctional centre started when the sum of N186,000,000 was transferred to him for safekeeping but diverted the money for his own personal use.