Winners’ Chapel pastor in court for allegedly defrauding Landmark varsity

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned an Ilorin-based associate pastor with the Living Faith Church, aka, Winners’ Chapel, Temidayo Eseyin, for allegedly defrauding Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, to the tune of N19.3m.

Eseyin, a lawyer and former member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin branch, was arraigned on four counts bordering on dishonest misappropriation of funds belonging to the university.

He was arraigned before Justice Funsho Lawal of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.

In a petition to the EFCC, Eseyin, was alleged to have had access toLandmark University’s properties, title documents and funds while he was counsel for the institution.

In the assumed capacity, it was alleged that Eseyin was “cheating, defrauding, misappropriating and short-changing his client”.

It was claimed that the defendant, between 2014 and 2022 managed a property known as “Old Midland Building” belonging to Landmark University, situated along Emir’s/Obbo Road, Ilorin, which rents Eseyin collected for eight years and could not produce the money when asked.

The petitioner also alleged that Eseyin attempted to sell the property without instructions from the university, hence, the petition to the EFCC.

The charges reads in part, “That you, Temidayo Eseyin sometime in the year 2021, in Ilorin Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court dishonestly misappropriated the sum of Six Million, Sixty Four Thousand Naira Only (N6, 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 defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Counsel for the EFCC, Rashidat Alao, urged the court to fix a date for trial, while praying the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Centre pending trial.

However, Eseyin’s lawyer, Femi Makinde, moved an application for the bail of the defendant.

Justice Lawal admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N10m with two sureties in the sum of N5m each.

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

The judge ordered that the defendant should be remanded in the custody of the EFCC pending the perfection of his bail conditions.