Lagos Court Jails Couple 16 Years For N52m Fraud
A Lagos State High sitting in Ikeja on Wednesday, convicted and sentenced a couple, Harry Uyanwanne and Oluwakemi Odemuyiwa (a.k.a Kristein Uyanwanne) alongside Temple International Church to jail terms after finding them guilty of various offences preferred against them.
Justice Mojisola Dada, who handed down the verdict, also ordered that the third defendant, (Temple International Church), should be deregistered and closed down for using the name of God and the Church to defraud people.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed a seven-count charge bordering on stealing, dishonest conversion, false presentation, and fraud against the convicts.
When the convicts were arraigned in Court on 25th February 2020 by the anti-graft agency, they pleaded not guilty. During the trial, the prosecution counsel, Mr Babatunde Sonoiki, called five witnesses while the defence called two witnesses.
In delivering her judgment, Justice Mojisola Dada held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and found both of them guilty. The Court sentenced both of them to three years imprisonment on count one, while on count two to six, the first convict, Harry Uyanwanne, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
The second convict (Odemuyiwa) was imprisoned for three years, but the court discharged and acquitted them on count seven.
Overall, Uyanwanne was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment while Odemuyiwa (a.k.a Kristein Uyanwanne) was sentenced to six years.
Directing that the sentence should run concurrently, Justice Dada also ordered the third convict, Temple International Church, to be deregistered and closed down.
According to the Judge; “Using the name of God and Church to defraud people, I order that the third convict should be deregistered and closed down”, even as she ordered the convicts to restitute the sum of N31m to the nominal complainant within 60 days of the judgment.
The EFCC had alleged that sometime in March 2016, the convicts dishonestly converted the sum of N10m for their use, being the late Mrs Janet Adeola Odemuyiwa’s property
Furthermore, the anti-graft agency said the convicts, with false intent to defraud, sold the property known as Plot 32, Block 9, Magodo Residential Scheme 1, Ikeja Local Government to one Mr. Kingsley Atere for the sum of N42m on the false presentation that the first convict was authorised to sell the property by the bonafide owner, the late Mrs. Odemuyiwa.
Consequently, the EFCC said the offences committed contravened Section 1 (2) and (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No. 14 2006 and Sections 278 and 285 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria No. 11, 2011.
