The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has executed the re-arrest of Floriana De-Stefani, an Italian national previously convicted by Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos. De-Stefani was found guilty on October 7, 2022, of utilizing false documents and counterfeit seals to assert ownership of a property belonging to Waterside Properties Limited, thereby contravening Section 366 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
In rendering the judgment, Justice Dada sentenced De-Stefani to three years in prison and directed the release of the disputed property located at 14 A&B Warring Road (formerly Bayo Kuku Road), Ikoyi, Lagos, to Waterside Properties Limited within three weeks. However, De-Stefani’s failure to comply with the court order led to her re-arrest by EFCC operatives on December 19, 2023.
In response to her continued occupation of the property, despite the court’s directive, the EFCC issued a notice to De-Stefani on the same day of her re-arrest, instructing her to vacate the premises within seven days or face legal consequences.
It is noteworthy that De-Stefani, alongside co-defendant Stella Ndubusi Ogboju, was initially arraigned on March 30, 2019, facing charges related to forgery and the misappropriation of a property owned by Waterside Properties Limited. Subsequently, the prosecution amended the charges to include six counts, with one of the charges accusing De-Stefani of dishonestly converting the aforementioned property for personal use in 2015 within the Ikeja judicial division.
