Court of Appeal Upholds N5 Million Fine Against Daddy Freeze for Adultery

The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt has upheld the N5 million fine against Nigerian On-Air Personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, also known as Daddy Freeze, for committing adultery with Benedicta Elechi. This decision confirms the High Court’s ruling from 2021.

1. High Court’s Initial Ruling:
   • On February 18, 2021, a High Court in Port Harcourt fined Daddy Freeze N5 million for committing adultery with Benedicta Elechi.
   • The fine was to be paid to Paul Odekina, who was married to Elechi at the time.
2. Details of the Fine:
   • The court awarded damages to Odekina for the loss of his wife’s companionship and the emotional injury caused by the adultery.
   • The marriage between Paul Odekina and Benedicta Elechi was also dissolved by the court.
3. Appeal by Daddy Freeze:
   • Daddy Freeze appealed the High Court’s decision, arguing that he was not properly served with the court documents, which violated procedural rules.
   • He claimed the substituted service by courier was ineffective and did not meet the principles of natural justice.
4. Appeal Court’s Findings:
   • The Appeal Court determined that Daddy Freeze should have filed a counter-affidavit against the affidavit of service if he wanted to challenge the trial court’s judgment on non-service grounds.
   • Since Daddy Freeze did not follow this legal procedure, the Appeal Court found his appeal to lack merit.
5. Final Decision:
   • The Appeal Court dismissed Daddy Freeze’s appeal and affirmed the High Court’s judgment.
   • The N5 million fine remains in effect, and no order was made regarding the costs of the appeal.