The Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos State, has convicted a couple, Harry Uyanwanne and Oluwakemi Odemuyiwa (also known as Kristein Uyanwanne), sentencing them to a combined 16 years in prison for stealing N52 million. Along with the couple, the court also convicted Temple International Church, which was involved in the fraudulent activities. Justice Mojisola Dada ordered the church’s deregistration and closure for using the name of God and religion to deceive people.
The three defendants were found guilty of seven charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The couple was arraigned by the EFCC on February 25, 2020, and they pleaded not guilty, prompting a trial in which the prosecution called five witnesses, while the defense presented two. Justice Dada ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
For the charges, Justice Dada sentenced Uyanwanne to three years in prison for the first count and seven years for counts two to six. Odemuyiwa was sentenced to three years for counts one to six, while both were acquitted on the seventh count. Uyanwanne will serve a total of 10 years, while Odemuyiwa will serve six years, with the sentences running concurrently. The judge also ordered the defendants to restitute N31 million to the complainant within 60 days.
The charges stemmed from a 2016 incident where the couple allegedly converted N10 million, the property of the late Mrs. Odemuyiwa Janet Adeola, for their personal use. Additionally, they fraudulently sold a property at Plot 32, Block 9, Magodo Residential Scheme 1, Ikeja, to Mr. Kingsley Atere for N42 million, falsely claiming that Uyanwanne had the authority to sell it.
Their actions violated the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act of 2006 and sections of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
