The scheduled arraignment of Dr. Daphne Dafinone, a board member of the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), before a Federal High Court, Lagos, on Thursday January 23, was stalled due to her absence in court.
Ms. Dafinone, alongside her company, CEDDI Corporation Limited, are facing charges of allegedly fraud to the tune of N100 million, as sated in a charge marked FHC/C/661C/24.
The prosecuting agency, the Force Headquarters through Barrister Anthony Iyeye, a Superintendent of Police (SP) was present, while Dapo Akinosun (SAN) appeared for the defendants.
At the calling of the matter today, Akinosun told the court that his client, Dafinone, one of the daughters of legendary accountant and billionaire, Chief David Dafinone, was in London receiving medical treatment.
He told the court that upon hearing about her absence, he advised her that she should not be in London when she was scheduled to appear in court.
The senior lawyer further told the court that he requested a video call to confirm her location and requested proof of her hospitalisation, which she provided in the form of a letter from her doctor.
Additionally, Akinosun stated that Ms. Dafinone sent him a photocopy of her passport and travel stamps to confirm her overseas whereabouts.
The defence lawyer emphasized that he had previously given an undertaking to the court that Ms. Dafinone would attend the court at the next adjustment for arraignment.
He assured the court that she would return to Nigeria on January 28, 2025, and requested an adjournment for the arraignment.
The prosecutor did not object to the request.
Justice Ibrahim Kala adjourned the case until March 4, 2025, for Ms Dafinone’s arraignment.
The charges stem from a petition filed by Prince Lukman Adeleke, a developer, against Dr. Dafinone, her company CEDDI Corporation Ltd., and other unidentified individuals.
The petitioner alleges that between April and December 2019, Dafinone and others conspired to defraud him of N100 million.
According to the petition, Adeleke’s Company, Lukman Communications Limited had been in negotiations with CEDDI Corporation Limited for the sales of a property at 93 Broad Street, Lagos Island.
Despite ongoing negotiations and a payment of N100 million, Ms. Dafinone allegedly proceeded with the sale of the same property to another party, Mrs. Ganiyat Ulom.
Adeleke claims that when he learned of the sale, he instructed his solicitors to issue a memorandum of claim to CEDDI Corporation Limited and Mrs. Ulom.
However, both parties allegedly failed to respond, leading Adeleke to file a lawsuit in the High Court of Lagos State.
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