A Lagos State Special Offences Court has sentenced a couple, Harry Uyanwanne and Oluwakemi Odia (also known as Kristein Uyanwanne), to 14 years in prison each for defrauding a petitioner of N67.6 million.
Justice Mojisola Dada, who delivered the judgment at the court sitting in Ikeja on Monday, November 2, 2026, also ordered the convicts to make full restitution of N67,659,592 to the petitioner, Olusola Odemuyiwa.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed this in a statement via its X handle on Tuesday, November 3.
The commission said the couple were convicted on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and obtaining money by false pretence, while they were discharged on a fourth count of forgery.
According to the EFCC, the defendants had pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned, prompting the prosecution counsel, Fadeke Giwa, to call three witnesses and tender several documents in support of the case. The defence, however, called one witness.
Delivering judgment, Justice Dada held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and found both defendants guilty.
The court sentenced them to three years imprisonment on the conspiracy count, one year for stealing and 10 years for obtaining money by false pretence, without an option of fine.
The judge, however, ordered that the first defendant’s sentence be suspended until he is apprehended.
One of the charges, as quoted by the EFCC, alleged that the defendants fraudulently sold a property belonging to the beneficiaries of the estate of late Dr Moshood Babatunde Odemuyiwa.
The charge reads in part: “Kemi Odia and Harry Uyanwanne (a.k.a Ben Ololorma) sometime in 2010 at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court by false pretence and intent to defraud sold the property known as N0 19 Murtala Mohammed Way, Ebute Meta, Oyingbo Lagos to one Harry Dyawanne for the sum of Sixteen Million Naira… on the false pretence representation that you were authorized to sell the property by the Bonalde Beneficiaries of the Estate of Late Dr Moshood Babatunde Odemuyiwa which representation you knew was false”.
The EFCC said the prosecution had alleged that the defendants conspired in 2010 to dishonestly take possession of property belonging to beneficiaries of the late Odemuyiwa’s estate, contrary to Section 285(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
It further alleged that the property, located at Plot 19, Muritala Mohammed Way, Ebute Meta, Oyingbo, Lagos, was sold for N16 million on the false claim that the defendants had been authorised by the estate’s beneficiaries to dispose of it.
What You Should Know
A couple was convicted for illegally selling a property in Ebute Meta, Lagos, which belonged to a deceased doctor’s estate. They misled a buyer into paying millions of Naira by falsely claiming they were authorized to sell the land.
- Positive Impact: This judgment serves as a significant deterrent to fraudsters targeting the real estate sector and demonstrates the court’s commitment to ensuring victims of financial crimes receive restitution.
- Potential Concerns: The incident highlights the high risks involved in Nigerian real estate transactions, emphasizing that buyers must perform exhaustive due diligence to verify the true beneficiaries of family or estate properties.
