Lagos Couple Sentenced to 14 Years for N67.6m Fraud

Harry Uyanwanne and his wife, Oluwakemi Odia, also known as Kristein Uyanwanne, were sentenced to 14 years in prison by Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja for defrauding beneficiaries of the estate of the late Dr Moshood Babatunde Odemuyiwa. They were convicted on three counts: conspiracy, stealing, and obtaining money by false pretence, with a total amount defrauded being N67,659,592.

The couple fraudulently sold a property located at 19, Murtala Mohammed Way, Ebute Meta, Oyingbo, Lagos, for N16 million, falsely claiming they had authorization from the estate's rightful beneficiaries. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted the case, presenting three witnesses and various documentary evidence.

The couple was acquitted of a fourth count related to forgery. Justice Dada ordered the couple to refund the full amount to the petitioner, Olusola Odemuyiwa, and imposed a suspended sentence on the first defendant until he is apprehended.