A Lagos State High Court has sentenced a couple, Harry Uyanwanne and Oluwakemi Odia, also known as Kristein Uyanwanne, to 14 years in prison each for defrauding the beneficiaries of a deceased man’s estate of ₦67.6 million through an illegal property transaction.
Key Highlights
- Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, jailed the couple 14 years each on November 2, 2026.
- They were convicted of conspiracy, stealing and obtaining money by false pretence, but discharged on forgery.
- The court ordered them to refund ₦67,659,592 to the petitioner, Olusola Odemuyiwa.
- The case involved a property at Plot 19, Murtala Mohammed Way, Ebute Meta, sold in 2010 for ₦16 million.
- The first defendant’s sentence was suspended until he is apprehended.
Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja delivered the judgment on Monday, November 2, 2026, after finding the defendants guilty of conspiracy, stealing and obtaining money by false pretence.
The court also ordered the convicts to refund the entire sum of ₦67,659,592 to the petitioner, Olusola Odemuyiwa.
The Ebute Meta Property
The case centred on a property located at Plot 19, Murtala Mohammed Way, Ebute Meta, Oyingbo, Lagos, which the prosecution said belonged to the beneficiaries of the estate of late Dr Moshood Babatunde Odemuyiwa.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the defendants allegedly presented themselves as having the authority to sell the property when they were not authorised by the legitimate beneficiaries of the estate.
The commission told the court that the transaction took place in 2010, when the defendants allegedly sold the property for ₦16 million under false pretences.
In one of the charges, the EFCC accused the defendants of falsely representing that they had the approval of the bona fide beneficiaries of the late Dr Odemuyiwa’s estate to dispose of the property.
The prosecution maintained that the representation was knowingly false and formed part of a scheme to defraud the rightful beneficiaries.
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Trial And Judgment
The couple were arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges, leading to a full trial during which prosecution counsel, Fadeke Giwa, called three witnesses and tendered several documentary exhibits in support of the case.
In her judgment, Justice Dada held that the EFCC had established its case beyond reasonable doubt on three of the four counts.
The judge consequently convicted both defendants on conspiracy, stealing and obtaining money by false pretence but discharged them on the forgery charge.
For conspiracy, the court sentenced each defendant to three years’ imprisonment, while the stealing charge attracted one year behind bars.
They were also sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment each for obtaining money by false pretence, without an option of fine.
The combined sentences amount to 14 years’ imprisonment for each convict.
However, Justice Dada ordered that the first defendant’s sentence be suspended until he is apprehended. The court’s restitution order further requires the convicts to return the ₦67.6 million to Olusola Odemuyiwa.
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