Court Denies Fred Ajudua Bail In Fresh $1 Million Fraud Trial

DDM News

A Lagos court has dismissed a renewed bail application filed on behalf of alleged serial fraudster Fred Ajudua in a long-running $1,043,000 fraud case.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja, gave the ruling on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in response to the fresh motion submitted by Ajudua’s lead counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Olalekan Ojo.

Fred Ajudua is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an allegation that he defrauded a Palestinian businessman, Mr. Zad Abu Zalaf, of over one million US dollars under false pretences.

The case, which dates back to 2005, has experienced multiple adjournments over the years, largely due to what prosecutors describe as deliberate legal tactics deployed by the defence to stall proceedings.

At the resumed trial, Ajudua appeared in court accompanied by a medical team from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), which his counsel argued was evidence of the severity of his health condition.

Ojo informed the court that LUTH had reluctantly allowed medical personnel to accompany Ajudua due to its internal policy against releasing patients under special treatment.

However, the prosecution, led by S.H. Atteh, objected to the bail request, referencing a prior ruling by the Supreme Court that had revoked Ajudua’s earlier bail.

Atteh argued that since the apex court had already made a pronouncement on the matter, any new application for bail should be directed to the same court, not the lower court.

Justice Dada agreed with the prosecution and ruled accordingly.

“I will abide by the decisions of the Supreme Court,” she stated. “In view of the applications filed at the Supreme Court, I am constrained to take any decision in respect of this instant application filed by the defence counsel.”

The matter was subsequently adjourned to October 10, October 31, and November 20, 2025, for continuation of trial.

During Wednesday’s hearing, an EFCC operative, Afanda Bashir Emmanuel, testified as a witness.

Emmanuel confirmed that the anti-graft agency took over the case from the Nigeria Police Force and provided a brief narrative of the agency’s involvement in investigating and prosecuting Ajudua.

The EFCC’s case against Ajudua centers on accusations that he falsely represented himself as capable of assisting Mr. Zad Abu Zalaf in resolving a purported legal issue and securing financial restitution through influential Nigerian contacts.

According to court filings, the transaction was part of a broader scheme involving false documents and forged identities, through which Ajudua allegedly induced the Palestinian to part with the sum of $1,043,000.

The EFCC insists that Ajudua exploited his background as a former lawyer and used deceptive tactics to convince the victim that he had connections to high-level officials, including judges and government personnel.

Over the years, Ajudua has been embroiled in multiple fraud allegations, earning him notoriety in Nigeria’s judicial history.

He had previously secured bail on health grounds but was accused of abusing the privilege by failing to appear in court consistently, leading to a Supreme Court decision to revoke the bail in a 2024 ruling.

Despite Ojo’s plea for a short adjournment and renewed liberty for his client, the court refused, citing the precedent set by the apex court.

“We have demonstrated to do the needful to make this trial proceed,” Ojo insisted, but the ruling was final.

Legal observers say the outcome reinforces the judiciary’s stance on high-profile financial crimes and signals a resolve to push long-dragged cases to conclusion.

Fred Ajudua’s case continues to symbolize the intersection of legal complexity, elite fraud, and slow-paced justice in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

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