Religious Leader Faces Charges for Allegedly Defrauding Kwara University Of……

Associate Pastor of Living Faith Church Faces Charges for Allegedly Defrauding Landmark University of N19.3m

Temidayo Eseyin, an associate pastor with Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel, was arraigned on Wednesday, June 21, by the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He stands accused of defrauding Landmark University in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, of the sum of N19.3 million.

Eseyin, who is a lawyer and former member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, was brought before Justice Funsho Lawal of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin. He faced a four-count charge related to the alleged dishonest misappropriation of funds belonging to the university.

According to the petition submitted to the EFCC, Eseyin, in his capacity as a counsel/attorney to Landmark University, had access to the institution’s properties, title documents, and funds. However, it is alleged that he engaged in cheating, defrauding, misappropriating, and shortchanging his client.

One of the specific allegations against the defendant is that between 2014 and 2022, he managed a property known as the “Old Midland Building” owned by Landmark University, located along Emir’s/Obbo Road in Ilorin. Eseyin was purportedly collecting rent for the property for eight years but failed to provide an account of the collected funds when requested.

The petitioner also accused Eseyin of attempting to sell the property without proper instructions from the university, prompting the petition to the EFCC.

The third count of the charge against Eseyin accuses him of dishonestly misappropriating the sum of N6,064,000, which represents payment of rent for the Old Midland Building belonging to Landmark University.

During the court proceedings, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges. The EFCC’s counsel, Rashidat Alao, requested a trial date and asked the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Centre pending the trial.

However, Eseyin’s lawyer, Femi Makinde, filed a bail application on behalf of the defendant, requesting his client’s release pending trial.

Justice Lawal granted the bail application, setting the bail amount at N10 million with two sureties each providing a sum of N5 million. The sureties were required to possess landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.

The judge adjourned the case to a later date to be communicated to the parties involved. In the meantime, Eseyin was ordered to be remanded in the custody of the EFCC until his bail conditions are fulfilled.