Pastor defrauds Kwara varsity N19.3m

Akinwande Soji-Ojo

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) has arraigned an Ilorin-based associate pastor with the Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel, Temidayo Eseyin, for allegedly defrauding Landmark University, Omu Aran, Kwara State, the sum of N19.3 million.

Eseyin, a lawyer and former member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin Branch, was docked on a four-count bordering on dishonest misappropriation of funds belonging to the university before Justice Funsho Lawal of the Kwara State High Court, sitting in Ilorin, on Thursday.

According to charges against Eseyin, whilst being a counsel/attorney to Landmark University, he had access to her properties, title documents and funds.

In the assumed capacity, it was alleged that Eseyin was “cheating, defrauding, misappropriating and shortchanging his client to her utmost dismay.”

Specifically, the defendant, between 2014 and 2022 managed a property known as ‘Old Midland Building,’ belonging to Landmark University, situated along Emir/Obbo Road, Ilorin. The suspect collected rent for eight years and could not produce the rent when asked.

“That you, Temidayo Eseyin sometime in the year 2021, in Ilorin Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court dishonestly misappropriated the sum of Six Million, Sixty Four Thousand Naira Only (6, 064,000) representing payment of rent on property known as Old Midland Building belonging to Landmark University and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law and Punishable under Section 309 of the same Law,” the charge read.

Eseyin was also accused of attempting to sell the property without instructions from the university.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Rashidat Alao, urged the court to fix a date for trial, and prayed the court to remand the defendant in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Centre pending the trial.

However, Eseyin’s lawyer, Femi Makinde, moved an application for the bail of the defendant. He prayed the court to admit his client to bail pending the trial.

Justice Lawal, while ruling on the application, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in the sum of N5 million each.

The judge ordered that the sureties must have landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.

While adjourning the case, th judge said a date would be communicated to the parties and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the EFCC pending the perfection of his bail conditions.