EFCC arraigned lawyer for defrauding university of N19.3m

Temidayo Eseyin, a lawyer, was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's Ilorin Zonal Command on Wednesday with robbing the Landmark University in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, of N19.3 million.

Eseyin, a former member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin Branch, was charged with four counts of dishonest misappropriation of university funds before Justice Funsho Lawal of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.

Eseyin was accused of deceiving, defrauding, misappropriating, and underpaying his client while serving as counsel to the institution, according to a petition to the EFCC. Eseyin had access to the university's assets, title documents, and finances.

In one of his alleged atrocities, the defendant is accused of managing the Old Midland Building, a Landmark University property along Emir's/Obbo Road in Ilorin, between 2014 and 2022. He allegedly collected rent on the building but was unable to show the money received when requested.

Eseyin allegedly tried to sell the property without permission from the university, according to the petitioner, who also claimed that the anti-graft agency had been contacted.

The charge read in part, “That you, Temidayo Eseyin, sometime in 2021, in Ilorin, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly misappropriated N6,064,000 representing payment of rent on property known as the Old Midland Building belonging to the 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 accused entered a not-guilty plea to the accusation.

Rashidat Alao, the EFCC's attorney, sought the court to set a trial date after the defendant's plea and asked the court to keep the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Center pending trial.

However, Eseyin's attorney, Femi Makinde, filed a request for the defendant's bail.

He requested that his client be granted bail pending trial by the judge.

When deciding on the application, Justice Lawal granted the defendant bail in the amount of N10m with two sureties in the amount of N5m each.

The sureties were required by the judge to own land that was subject to the court's jurisdiction.

The defendant should be kept in the care of the EFCC till the completion of his bail conditions, the judge said while postponing the case to a date that would be disclosed to the parties.

Source