In a shocking case that exposes the depths of impersonation and fraud within Nigeria’s judicial system, a group of individuals including a supposed magistrate have allegedly defrauded a victim of over 80 million naira through an elaborate scam involving fabricated court cases, impersonated judicial officials, and forged documents. The victim, Mr Patrick has come forward with detailed evidence including receipts, chat records, and video recordings documenting the year-long deception that began in August 2024.
According to Patrick, the scheme began when his former university lodgemate and schoolmate from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, who claimed to be a practicing magistrate in the Abia State Judiciary, contacted him alleging he was facing trial before the Abia State Judicial Service Commission. The suspect, identified as Nkwo Victor Uchechi, claimed someone had stolen his phone, accessed his Opay account, and used it to defraud one Chijioke in Sweden, resulting in a petition against him. Over the following months, Victor allegedly invented an increasingly complex narrative involving arrested suspects, court convictions, monetary awards totaling hundreds of millions of naira, and even intervention from high-ranking judicial officials including the Chief Justice of Nigeria .
Nkwo Victor Uchechi
The scam involved requests for money to facilitate various judicial processes including police mobilization for arrests, transportation of suspects, revenue payments to claim alleged awarded funds, vehicle auctions from recovered assets, and even payments to Supreme Court justices to influence rulings. Victor allegedly provided forged receipts stamped with official judiciary markings to legitimize the requests . The deception reached the highest levels of Nigeria’s judicial system with claims of involvement from CJN Justice Kekere Ekun, Justice Inyang Okoro of the Supreme Court, former CJN Olukayode Ariwuola, and even DIG Frank Mba of the Nigeria Police Force. The fraudsters allegedly went so far as to have individuals impersonate these officials in phone conversations with the victim .
Perhaps most disturbingly, the suspect’s mother was allegedly complicit in the scheme, acknowledging the false case and soliciting funds from multiple victims. The scheme unraveled only when one of the victims traveled to Abuja to meet Victor at his claimed workplace and discovered he was not there, followed by confirmation from his mother that he was actually in Umuahia rather than Abuja as claimed . The victim has Petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and is now seeking justice and recovery of over 80 million naira sent to Victor, his mother, and various accounts provided by them over the nearly year-long period, with concerns that family connections to the judiciary might impede proper investigation.
As at the time of this report, all efforts to obtain reaction from Victor proved abortive as calls and messages sent to his phone number where not replied.
The victim’s personal narrative of the fraud is reproduced in full below.
In August 2024, this my friend Victor who was my lodgemate and schoolmate in Unizik and now a practicing magistrate in Abia state Judiciary contacted me that he needed some help that he has an Ongoing trial at the Abia state judicial service commission (AJSC), he said someone stole his phone had access an an access to his opay account used it defraud one Chijioke in Sweden and this chijioke has petitioned him to the AJSC and he has been summoned to prove his innocence and fortunately for him he has found the suspect but needed some money to mobilize the police for arrest out of my goodwill and compassion in other so save his job I sent him some money.
He came back later that the person has been arrested that he needed some money to transport the suspect from Lagos to Abia state to parade him before the AJSC, I made another transfer, he came back again that the suspect in connection with three others who were arrested in Aba in Abia State has been indicted by the panel and convicted at the state high court and monetary damages 200m awarded to him but he has to make some payments in the board of internal revenue to claim his money so he can refund me and show some appreciation I sent another money, according to him he said that vehicles were recovered from the suspect, later he came back again that those vehicles has been placed on auction if am interested I should send money to purchase one for me I sent him money he later sent me receipt from the state judiciary stamped and signed, he promised to send the vehicle to me in few days time.
The next day he called saying that one Barrister Jude in Umuahia who has been helping him before he contacted me is trying to kill him and take all the money awarded to him that he has approached one Justice Okoroafor of the state high court in Umuahia who delivered the judgement to help him out and he has been taken to a Rehabilitation home to avoid being served notice of an appeal for the next 60 days, he also stated that one of the ex-convict has hired Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN that they have gone on Appeal, so he will be in the rehab home for sometime, from the rehab home he kept on calling that Barr. Jude has been harassing his family members searching for him everywhere but Justice Okoroafor has contacted his State Chief Judge to intervened since he is a magistrate and member of the judiciary. according to him through justice Okoroafor he got in contact with the CJ who promised him that he must received all the financial damages awarded to him, after sometime he called back that Jude and Ikpeazu has taken his case to court of appeal Owerri division bringing someone to impersonate him at the court of Appeal that needed some money to come out and fight for his case I sent him another money. this time he said the CJ has contacted DIG Frank Mba that both were classmate in Law School, he said Frank has reached out to him assuring him his safety that petition has to be submitted at Force Hqtrs Abuja to be able to arrest Barr. Jude and arraign him in court I sent him money for the petition and arrest.
After sometime he called that Jude has been arraign and sentenced by the CJ another financial damages awarded to him as usual he needed money again to claim the damages money was sent again, this time I started asking him of the previous money awarded to him he claimed that while he was in Rehab home that this Jude obtain a court order to place his account in hold that he cannot access it for now until overturned by court of Appeal this time he started sending his Opay and Palmpay account to me to be sending money into which I did several times, at this time he said that Jude told the CJ in court that he is going on appeal and this got the CJ angered who now took him to Abuja and introduced him before the chief Justice of Nigeria(CJN) Justice Kekere Ekun and the CJN assured him of justice at the court of Apeal and Supreme court that I should not panic that am going to get all my money back that he now has the back up of the CJN. According to him the matter was taking to the court of Appeal and he won, but Onyechi Ikpeazu lawyer to the defendant has taken this matter to the supreme court, that one day him and his CJ were in the resident of the CJN in Abuja Ikpeazu walked in with Inyang Okoro(JSC) trying to bribe the CJN to influence the matter at the supreme court that him and CJ were inside over hearing their discussion but the CJN refused to side Inyang because of his CJ who were old time friend but this time he needed money to respond to his appeal at the supreme court money was sent.
He called again that the CJN contacted him through the CJ that Inyang has bribed members of his panel that she alone cannot rule in his favour, members of the panel he mentioned aside Inyang Okoro were, Uwani Musa Abaji(JSC), Mohammed Idris(JSC) and Chioma Nwosu Iheme(JSC). According to him Inyang has given them $10,000 each to rule in Favour of Barr. Jude and those yahoo boys that was convicted at the state High Court and court of Appeal Abuja but the CJN is trying to convince Uwani and Idris to be on her side but the challenge is that Uwani needed to return the money Inyang gave to her that she has spent part of it so she can rule in the favour of him Victor I sent millions to Victor to give to the CJ and to Uwani and Idris to return to Inyang Okoro so he can get Justice in supreme court, for me I thought I was helping a friend to get justice and fight corruption in the Judiciary without knowning I was being scammed by my own friend and his team. On December 10 ,2024. He called again that he has won again more money awarded to him by the CJN and panel, but there is a challenge, He has to make payment again this time at the federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) 3% of the total money awarded to him this time the total money has gone up to 360 million naira that I should please help me to get those money, whenever I asked him about the previous money awarded he said his account has been placed on hold from the office of Inyang Okoro and that his matter has been taken to National Judicial council (NJC) against Inyang for interfering in his matter that CJN has contact the former CJN Olukayode Ariwuola to come and head the NJC meeting since Inyang is her deputy that she cannot preside on the matter that him Victor needed to pay flight ticket to and fro, for Ariwuola and his Personal assistant from Lagos to Abuja for the NJC meeting I sent money again, after sometime he will come up with another story that Inyang is now fighting him that he has been reported to the State House and House of senate by Inyang he also told me how Inyang Okoro and Onyechi Ikpeazu made Several attempt to kill him because he won them at the supreme court and NJC through the help of the CJN that several award of financial damages were awarded against Inyang Okoro and Ikpeazu at the NJC for trying to subvert justice and assassinate him, he claimed that Frank Mba made several arrest for him that he has his contact at some point he even said that Frank Mba want to speak with me on phone including Olukayode Ariwuola without knowing I was speaking with his team of fraudsters whenever I ask him why has this matter not gone to the media due to personalities involve he will tell me that CJN said she does not want scandals in the judiciary I kept on believing him as a friend and as a magistrate that he cannot get involve in fraud. what made the matter worst is that during this whole fraud by Victor and his team I contacted his mother who I have her contact back then in school days as she used to speak with her son through me according to her that whenever she buys a phone to her son he will play betnaija with it so in many occasion she spoke to her son through me back then in hostel so the mother knows me very well, so the mother acknowledged that her son truly has a case she even made several calls among me and my friends demanding money from us for her son of which we sent money to her son through her bank accounts. this fraud kept on for almost a year until one of my friends who has also sent millions to Victor, the mother and several accounts provided by Victor. On getting to Abuja to see victor by one of my friends where he now claimed that he stays and work because at some point he claimed he has been a magistrate at the FCT and later assistant secretary to NJC by the CJN and NJC he was nowhere to be found he kept on posting my friend sometimes he will claimed that he is in the house of the CJN that he cannot come out until I took the mother unaware and call her asking her Victor’s whereabout and she told me that Victor is in Umuahia not in Abuja that was when I realized I have been scammed.
I now started investigating all the remita receipts sent to me by Victor all the payment he claimed he paid in FIRS and state Judiciary are all fake that he never had any case anywhere I tried to reach out to him till date all his lines has been switched off. All the mother kept telling me till date is I should hold on that she is going to refund me but I don’t trust the family anymore. Fellow Nigerians I heard that the mother’s sister is a Judge in Nigeria and am afraid I may not get justice in this matter please how do I get all my money back? as me and my friends have sent over 80 Million naira to Victor, the Mother and several account provide by victor for the period of one year I have all my receipts, chats and video recordings sent to me by victor in other to collect money from me and friends.
