Lagos Couple Get 28 Years Jail For ₦67 Million Property Fraud

Lagos Couple Get 28 Years Jail For ₦67 Million Property Fraud<br><br><blockquote><b>On Monday 2 November 2026, a Lagos court sentenced a couple, Harry Uyanwanne aka Ben Ololorma and Oluwakemi Odia aka Kristein Uyanwanne, to 14 years’ imprisonment each for a ₦67.6 million property fraud.</b><br><br><b>This was disclosed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) via a statement issued 02 November 2026.<br></b><br>Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja delivered the judgement, and also ordered the defendants to refund the full sum of ₦67,659,592 to the petitioner, Olusola Odemuyiwa.<br><br><b>The couple were prosecuted by EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 on a four-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, obtaining money by false pretence and forgery. At their arraignment, they had pleaded not guilty.</b><br><br><b>The prosecution alleged that the couple 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, Nigeria, 2011.<br></b><br>It further alleged that they sold Plot 19, Murtala Mohammed Way, Ebute Meta, Oyingbo, Lagos, to Harry Dyawanne for ₦16 million, falsely claiming that they had authorisation from the estate’s legitimate beneficiaries to sell the property.<br><br><b>During the trial, prosecution counsel Fadeke Giwa called 3 witnesses and tendered several documents, while the defence called one witness.<br></b><br>In her judgement, Justice Dada held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted the defendants on the first 3 counts; However, she discharged them on the 4th count which bordered on forgery.<br><br><b>The judge sentenced them to 3 years’ imprisonment each for conspiracy, one year for stealing and 10 years for obtaining money by false pretence, without option of a fine.<br></b><br>She also ordered that the first defendant’s sentence be suspended until he is apprehended.<br><br><b>BACKSTORY</b><br><br>This follows an earlier December 2024 ruling by the same Lagos court, where the couple was sentenced to prison terms (Mr. Uyanwanne for 10 years and Ms. Odia for six years) over a separate ₦52 million fraud case involving Temple International Church.</blockquote><a rel=ugc href="https://x.com/NaijaphiliaBlog/status/2117358977730433323">Source</a>