How a nurse fell for fake soldier who turned out to be shoeshine boy

When love meets deception, the heart becomes both the battlefield and the casualty.

This was the unfortunate experience of Esther Onsonyameye, a young nurse whose dream of marrying a soldier ended in heartbreak and public humiliation after discovering that her supposed military lover was, in fact, a shoeshiner at Burma Camp.

Esther had long promised herself that she would marry a soldier — a man of discipline, courage, and respect.

So, when she met Frank Anaab on social media, dressed smartly in Ghana Army fatigues, she believed fate had finally answered her prayers. Their connection grew quickly, and the two began dating.

For over a year, Esther was convinced she had found her ideal man — a patriotic serviceman defending Ghana.

Throughout their relationship, Esther played the part of a supportive partner. She frequently visited Frank, even spending nights with him.

Whenever he excused himself in the evenings, saying he was reporting to duty at the barracks, Esther saw no reason to doubt him.

To make him comfortable, she went out of her way to provide him with assorted provisions, mosquito nets, bed sheets, and other items she believed he needed for life “at camp.”

However, the fairytale soon began to unravel. Proud of her supposed soldier boyfriend, Esther once shared photos of Frank on her social media pages — a decision that would expose his web of lies. Within hours, she was contacted by four different women, each claiming to be Frank’s girlfriend.

Shocked and heartbroken, Esther reached out to the other women, and together they plotted to confront the man who had deceived them all.

Their plan led to a dramatic confrontation and an even more shocking revelation.

When pressed to provide details about his military unit and rank, Frank stumbled. It became clear that he could not produce any form of military identification.

Further checks confirmed that he was not a soldier — he was, in fact, a shoeshiner at Burma Camp, known by soldiers and officers alike for polishing their boots, not wearing them.

According to Esther, Frank had defrauded her under the guise of a military man, borrowing money on several occasions with promises to repay after receiving his “salary.”

It later emerged that he had used the same trick on multiple women, exploiting their trust and admiration for men in uniform.

His charm, combined with a convincing display of army regalia, had made him a master of emotional and financial manipulation.

Frank’s deceit, as later uncovered, went beyond romantic relationships. He had also conned unsuspecting individuals by promising to help them secure recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces — a ploy that earned him money and access to vulnerable victims.

Esther, though embarrassed and heartbroken, shared her story as a cautionary tale for other women.

“I bought things to make him comfortable at camp, not knowing he wasn’t a real soldier,” she lamented. “He deceived me.”

Her painful experience has sparked public debate on the growing trend of fake soldiers who prey on unsuspecting citizens, taking advantage of the prestige associated with the Ghana Armed Forces.