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  • Alleged $1m fraud: Ajudua seeks bail

    Alleged $1m fraud: Ajudua seeks bail

    Alleged fraudster and businessman, Fred Ajudua has approached an Ikeja Special Offences Court for a fresh bail in the alleged $1,043,000 fraud charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Ajudua filed fresh bail application before Justice Mojisola Dada last Friday having lost the bid for some reliefs at the Supreme Court on May 9.

    Ajudua has been arraigned for defrauding a Palestinian national, Zad Abu Zalaf, of $1,043,000 under false pretenses.

    Ajudua  told the court through his counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN)  that he had filed a notice of withdrawal of his application seeking certain reliefs at the Supreme Court to pave way for the high court to rule on the bail application.

    Ojo said: “We decided to withdraw the motion we filed at the Supreme Court to allow this Honourable Court to deliver its ruling on the bail application”.

    The defense counsel also submitted an affidavit and a copy of the notice of withdrawal to the court.

    Ojo noted that although his client is battling chronic kidney disease and severe hypertension, he insisted on appearing in court in order to comply with his legal undertakings.

    He urged the court to proceed with its ruling on the bail application.

    But the EFCC opposed the move.

    The commission’s prosecuting counsel, Seidu Atteh told Justice Mojisola Dada that Ajudua’s application at the Supreme Court remains on the cause list and there was a need to await the pronouncement of that court on its withdrawal.

    Atteh said, “the defendant will need to produce the order of the Supreme Court either dismissing or striking out the notice of withdrawal.

    “We urge the trial court to await the decision of the Supreme Court”.

    In her ruling, Justice Dada agreed with the prosecution.

    The judge said, “this court being a court of record must be satisfied that the notice of withdrawal is before the Supreme Court and same must be considered with the outcome filed in this court.”

    Following the bail arguments, the court proceeded with the trial.

    The third prosecution witness, Afanda Bashir Emmanuel, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was cross-examined by the defence.

    During cross-examination, Afanda testified that he joined the EFCC in 2009 and met Ajudua shortly after the defendant’s case file was transferred from the Nigerian Police Force’s Special Fraud Unit to the EFCC’s Advance Fee Fraud Section.

    According to the witness, the EFCC in the course of its investigations into the matter, reached out to multiple institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and even the Commission’s forensic lab.

    The witness also confirmed interviewing the nominal complainant, Zad Abu Zalaf, and another individual, Mr. Michel Opkema.

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    He said he visited Ajudua at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison and had documented proof of the visit. He added that the statements Ajudua gave to the police formed part of the EFCC’s investigation report.

    The witness however noted that the EFFC did not take any statements from the defendant on the issue.

    Cross examination was halted briefly after the defendant took a toilet break.

    On his return, he complained to his counsel, that he has noticed blood coming out his body while he tried to use the restroom.

    The defense counsel subsequently sought for  an adjournment to enable his client attend to his health.

    Justice Dada subsequently adjourned the trial to October 31, 2025 for continuation of cross examination.

    Ajudua is currently facing trial for allegedly defrauding a Palestinian national, Zad Abu Zalaf, of $1,043,000 under false pretenses.

  • Alleged $1,043,000 fraud: Court denies Ajudua bail

    Alleged $1,043,000 fraud: Court denies Ajudua bail

    • By Adebisi Onanuga and Racheal Isenere

    Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja Special Offences Court has refused application for fresh bail filed by Olalekan Ojo (SAN), the defence counsel to Fred Ajudua.

    The defendant was in court with some medical personnel from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH ).

    Ojo reminded  the court that  at the last sitting on July 23, 2025, he said  would do everything possible to ensure that the defendant was present in court.

    He said he made good his promise by ensuring the presence of Ajudua in court with the assistance of medical personnel from LUTH.

    He said he was aware of a letter written by the institution in charge that it’s not in their practice to release someone on special treatment to come to court.

    Because of this, they allow him to come to court  with medical personnel.

    Ojo also told the court that they  were prepared for the trial to continue  saying, “only leaving can face the trial.”

    Responding, the prosecuting counsel Seidu Atteh informed the court that the complainant’s counter affidavit on his bail application was served on them on Tuesday.

    Responding, Ojo said  they  managed to serve further and better affidavit adding, “I moved that the court should look at this application before the trial will start today”.

    The prosecution responded, saying that they were  not aware of any letter from the LUTH but have been served with further and better affidavit by the counsel.

    Read Also: Court orders interim forfeiture of Lagos property over N986m diesel fraud

    At this stage, the court called the third witness (PW  3), Afanda Bashir Emmanuel.

    But Ojo objected to the witness being heard, saying that he did not have the witness statement.

    “Anything he will say here today, I just heard it for the first time”, he said.

    Atteh responded that the statement of the witness was filed with  additional proof together with additional statement made on  September 17, 2018.

    However, the court allowed the witness, an operative of EFCC to give his evidence. He confirmed that he knew the defendant,  in his narration.

    He said: “Sometimes in 2005, the Nigeria Police Force  directed his special force unit to hand over some  cases to us in EFCC.  He said one of the cases is the defendant’s case, adding that the file was further transferred to office for investigation,.

    Sometimes in year 2011,  I was directed then  by the head of the team to study the fille in the case file. He said there was a letter earler written by Nigeria Police Force to the Central Bank of Nigeria and NNPC

    He said a letter was also written to Nigeria Chamber of Commerce in 1993 and forwarded to IG of Police who now directed that the petition wás annex with received of payment propetedly issued by CBN.

    The witness said there was also a letter of contract issued by NNPC.

    “Going through the document emanating from the defendant and letters acknowledging receipt of the payment, used documents that forms part of the letter received by EFCC.

    He said the Commission went to Central Bank and NNPC for clarification

    In furtherance of investigation, the letter of forensic analysis was written to forensic lab in Abuja EFCC  sometime in July 2013.

    “We received response from CBN, NNPC, and forensic laboratory of EFCC in Abuja.

    “Further more, I interview the complainant, sometime in 2018, recently we did report of investigation with CBN and NNPC.

    The witness said EFCC took over the file and we found that there was the statement of the defendant there.

    Atteh sought to tender the documents through the witness.

    The defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo, objected to the documents and urged the court not to accept them as evidence based on certification.

    He also noted that most of the documents are photocopies not original. He also noted that the charge was filed since 2005 and waited till 2013, eight years after the case was commenced.

    He also argued that  Pw3 is not the author of the forensic report.

    He said the documents  can only be tendered by the author, unless the prosecution can lay a necessary foundation that the author is dead, or he has left EFCC.

    “The prosecution did not do anything by way of laying foundation. Pw 3 is a stranger to this documents” he argued.

    In response, the prosecuting counsel, Atteh urged the court to admit them as exhibits.

    Ruling on the matter, Justice Dada did not object to the first and second documents but rejected the third and forth  as exhibits.

    “The CBN documents and forensic analysis examiner rejected.

    “EFCC letter to NNPC exhibit P8 and the response exhibit P9”, the court held.

    Ojo, thereafter applied to move his fresh bail application dated July 22, 2025 and filed the same date respectively praying for the defendant to be admitted  to bail pending the determination of the case.

    Attached to the application was a 12- paragraph affidavit and  a written address in support the application.

    He said the complainant response were served  on them on July 29, 2025 in the  afternoon.

    He said that the defendant was having chronic liver disease,

    But prosecuting counsel, Atteh filed a counter affidavit of seven paragraphs with exhibits attached which was the  judgement of the Supreme Court.

    He said he should have directed this application to Supreme Court not lower court.

    He, therefore, urged the court to refuse this application.

    Justice Dada ruling  on the matter said: “In view of the applications file at the Supreme Court, I am constrained  to take any decision in respect of this instant application,  by defence counsel.

    I will abide by the decisions of the supreme court”

    She therefore adjourned to October 10, 31, and 20 November 2025 for continuation of trial.

    Ajudua is standing trial for allegedly defrauding a Palestinian national, Zad Abu Zalaf, of the sum of $1.043 million under false pretenses.

    The case, which began in 2005 before Justice M.O. Obadina of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, encountered several delays due to legal technicalities employed by the defendant that stalled the proceedings and complicated his arraignment.

    The matter was subsequently reassigned to Justice J.E. Oyefeso and later to Justice Mojisola Dada, before whom Ajudua was finally arraigned on June 4, 2018.

    Following the denial of his bail by Justice Dada, Ajudua appealed to the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, which granted him bail on September 10, 2018. Dissatisfied with the appellate court’s ruling, the EFCC appealed to the Supreme Court.

    The Commission also filed a separate appeal with suit number SC/912C/2018 challenging the appellate court’s decision to transfer the case from Justice Dada to another judge to commence afresh (de novo).

    Both issues were resolved in favour of the prosecution by the apex court which ordered Justice Dada to continue the trial of the case.

  • Ajudua to Bamaiyi: show proof of source of $8.4m

    A Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, has asked former Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (retd) to provide proof of the source of the $8.4million for which he was alleged to have defrauded him in 2004.

    He made the request yesterday through his counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), before Justice Josephine Oyefeso at an Ikeja High Court in Lagos.

    Ajudua is standing trial before the court for allegedly defrauding Lt. Gen. Bamaiyi of $8.4million while they were both in Kirikiri Prisons in 2004.

    Ajudua, alongside co-defendants, had allegedly approached Bamaiyi and convinced him that he could hire the services of Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) to help secure his freedom with Bamaiyi, giving Ajudua $8.4million as legal fees.

    At the time of the incident, Bamaiyi was in custody for treason, while Ajudua was in custody for fraud related offences.

    The law chambers of Afe Babalola and Co issued a disclaimer disassociating itself from the case.

    At the resumed proceedings yesterday, Ojo told the court that he had been re-hired by Ajudua to represent him and requested the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the last court proceedings held on November 26.

    He said he needed the CTC to keep him abreast of recent happenings in the case.

    Ojo said the defence wanted Bamaiyi to provide documents showing proof of the source of the $8.4million in order to adequately cross-examine the retired General.

    “My Lord, I got the CTC of the proceedings at 3pm yesterday and it was virtually impossible for me to have any discussion with the defendant.

    “We are not blaming anybody for this because in other courts, the CTC of proceedings won’t be ready as quickly as this because of the volume of work.

    “After reading the records of proceedings, I discovered several issues, which made us to request the learned counsel to the prosecution to avail us certain documents related to the evidence given by the first prosecution witness (Bamaiyi).

    “These include evidence of alleged sale of items of landed property, the proceeds of which, according to the witness, formed part of the sources of funds he claimed to have handed to the defendant.

    “The other pieces of evidence relate to the alleged transactions that took place at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons.

    “There is need to write letters to the prison for some clarifications for us to conduct a thorough investigation,” he said.

    Ojo argued that there was nowhere in the proof of evidence where the former Chief of Army Staff had stated that he sold some specific landed property to raise the funds which he gave to Ajudua.

    He noted that Ajudua was granted bail by the Court of Appeal on December 10 for another fraud case he had pending before Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja Special Offences Court.

    Ojo asked the court for an adjournment to enable him file necessary documents to compel the prosecution to provide documents that are not in the proof of evidence.

    The lead prosecutor for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Seidu Atteh, however, opposed the defence’s request for an adjournment.

    He argued that the evidence before the court was not solely based on the sale of property, explaining that that was just one of the numerous sources stated in the evidence-in-chief of Bamaiyi.

    Atteh said he was ready to cross-examine the witness on other sources of the funds given to the defendant.

    He promised to make available the proof of the landed property sold to the defence at the next adjourned date.

    “My Lord, I urge you to refuse the application in order to save judicial time.  I urge My Lord to call the witness to the box,” the EFCC prosecutor said.

    Acceding to the request of the defence for an adjournment, Justice Josephine Oyefeso ordered the prosecution to provide the necessary documents to the defence.

    She said the CTC would be ready for collection by the defence.

    Justice Oyefeso adjourned the matter till February 19, 20 and 21 for continuation of trial.

     

  • How Ajudua duped me of $8.4 million, by Bamaiyi

    FORMER Chief of Army Staff Lt-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (retd) yesterday told an Ikeja High Court how he was allegedly duped of  $8.4 million by a Lagos lawyer and socialite, Fred Ajudua.

    Gen. Bamaiyi and Ajudua were both incarcerated at Kirikiri in 2012, when the alleged fraud took place.

    Bamaiyi was imprisoned for the attempted murder of Alex Ibru. Ajudua was in prison for fraud.

    He was led in evidence before Justice Josephine Oyefeso by  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecutor Mr. Seidu Atteh.

    Bamaiyi told the court that he collected the money from his friends, wife and workers after Ajudua told him that he would help him engage the services of Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) and also help in influencing Justice Joseph Oyewole, who was then handling his case.

    According to him, Ajudua,  in 2004, collected money from him and his associates six times. In 2005, he said Ajudua collected money from the same categories of people 19 times.

    “When on admission at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, my friends and personal staff delivered money to him while in prison. He also collected money from my wife twice – once inside the prison and the other one outside the prison.

    “Anytime money was released by me or any of my staff, I recorded them in my diary and anytime money was released both in the hospital and out of the hospital, he would call me on phone to confirm,” he said.

    Bamaiyi told the court that there was a time he was worried and demanded to meet Chief Afe  Babalola.

    “Instead, one Barrister Richard Oma came and met me in prison. He claimed to have come from Chambers of Chief Afe Babalola. But to my surprise, he did not come with any letter from Chief Afe Babalola’s Chambers.

    “Later, he came with another letter, which did not carry any logo from the Chambers of Chief Afe Babalola to me in the prison custody. I collected the letter from him,” he said.

    The former Chief of Army Staff said a man, named Kenneth, came to him in the prison custody and  claimed to be from Department of State Security Services.

    “He said he came from General Aliyu Gusau, the then National Security Adviser (NSA). He said Gusau and Obasanjo had met and they discussed my issue and they want to be assured that I will not cause trouble, if I am released from the custody.

    “I told him I had no problem with the President. He told me to write an undertaking that I will not cause trouble, if released. I told him I will not write any undertaking,” Bamaiyi said.

    Following his refusal, he said Ajudua, one Jonathan, who was a personal assistant to Ajudua and another alleged fraudster, Alumile Adedeji, popularly called Ade Bendel, collected money from him with intentions of securing the services of Chief Afe Babalola.

    Read also: Between history and Bamaiyi’s ‘vindication’

    “On November 22 , 2004, in the presence of ACP Garba, I gave the sum of $20,000 to one Jonathan, who was the personal assistant of the defendant. On November 30, my wife, Imuade, brought $400,000 and I counted the money and Jonathan, Ajudua’s boy, went away with the money.

    “On December 4, 2004, the defendant’s boy came with somebody, who said he was the orderly of Justice Oyewole and the sum of $1.5 million was counted before it was handed over to Jonathan.

    “On December 16, 2004, my ADC, Chechet, a Major, also brought in $1 million and gave the money to the defendant in visitors’ waiting room.

    “At about 6pm, the defendant called me and told me that his wife was in the house of the then Lagos State Chief Judge  Justice Ade Alabi, waiting for Chief Afe Babalola. He called his wife to confirm and at about 11.00 pm, the defendant called to tell me that Chief Afe Babalola had collected the money.

    “Sometimes on December 27, 2004, one of my associates brought in $350,000, which was given to the defendant. His boy, Jonathan, also collected $600,000 on January 15, 2005,” the witness said.

    He told the court that he raised the fund for which he was duped by the defendant by selling his properties in Victoria Island, Dolphins Estate, Yaba, Lekki in Lagos and  Kaduna as well as proceeds from his farm.

    Justice Oyefeso adjourned the matter till December 20 for cross-examination of the witness.

     

     

  • Court orders Ajudua’s transfer to Kirikiri prison

    Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, wept profusely on Thursday after the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja ordered his transfer from Ikoyi Maximum Prisons to Kirikiri Prisons.

    Justice Mojisola Dada, who issued the order, also declined Ajudua’s request for bail on medical grounds.

    Ajudua, upon hearing that he should be moved from Ikoyi to kirikiri Prisons, bowed down his head in the dock and wept.

    Ruling on the accused bail application, Justice Dada ordered that Ajudua who has been in Ikoyi Prison since the commencement of his trial last year, be transferred to the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons.

    The judge noted that the socialite’s criminal cases are the oldest in the Lagos State judiciary and had suffered several setbacks due to disappearances and health challenges of the defendant.

     

     

  • How I lost $550,000 to Ajudua – Witness

    A prosecution witness, Ziad Abu Zalaf, on Thursday told the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja how suspected serial fraudsters, Fred Ajudua, defrauded him of $550,000 25 years ago.

    Ajudua and his accomplice, Joseph Ochunor, are facing a 12- count charge of fraud and conspiracy before Justice Mojisola Dada.

    However, the accused had denied the charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The  Palestinian, who is a second prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Ajudua, told the court how he met the accused.

    Zalaf told the court he discovered that Ajudua is a serial fraudster through a BBC documentary where some of his victims recounted their ordeal in the hand of the socialite.

     

  • How I lost $550,000 to Ajudua – German victim

    A Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, heard on Tuesday how suspected serial fraudster, Fred Ajudua, defrauded a German car dealer, Mr. Michael Kramer, of $550,000 about 25 years ago.

    Ajudua and his accomplice, Joseph Ochunor, are facing a 12- count charge of fraud and conspiracy before Justice Mojisola Dada.

    Kramer, 67, a resident of Schlusta, Germany, who is the first prosecution witness, told the court how he was allegedly swindled of $550,000 by Ajudua.

    According to him, he lost his house and business while his wife divorced him when he could no longer provide for her and their children.

    The witness, who spoke through an interpreter, Ms Damilola Adewale, a staff of the German Consulate, told the court that Ziad Abu Zalaf was a customer to his company where he once sold exotic cars.

    Led in evidence by the lead prosecuting Counsel of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) , Seidu Atteh, the German said he met Zalaf sometimes in 1980 when he came to buy car from him.

    Kramer added that after the transaction, Zalaf bought cars from him regularly and the development strengthened their business relationship.

  • Alleged $1.046m fraud: Court remands Ajudua in Kirikiri prison

    Suspected serial fraudster, Fred Ajudua, was remanded in Kirikiri prison custody yesterday by an Ikeja Special Offences Court for allegedly defrauding Ziad Abu Zalaf of Technical International Limited in Germany of $1.046 million.

    The court held that Ajudua will remain in prison custody pending the hearing of his bail application and commencement of trial today.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Ajudua before Justice Mojisola Dada on a 12-count charge bordering on fraud and conspiracy.

    According to the EFCC, Ajudua and his accomplice, Joseph Ochunor, defrauded Zalaf on April 2, 1993.

    The arraignment of Ajudua and his accomplices had suffered series of setbacks that led to 44 adjournments before several judges.

    The same scenario played out before Justice Josephine Oyefeso who took over the matter last year before the Lagos State Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Opeyemi Oke, reassigned it to a special court for accelerated hearing.

    In the fresh charge filed before the court yesterday, the EFCC said Ajudua, on April 2, 198 in Ikeja, allegedly conspired with Ochunor, said to be on the run, and obtained $268,000.00 from Zalaf of Technical International Limited, a division of Mystic Company Limited in Germany.

    Ajudua was also accused to have obtained $225,000.00 by false pretence from Zalaf.

    EFCC accused Ajudua of uttering and forging Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) official receipt numbers 128 and 138, purported to have been issued by the apex bank to Zalaf.

    “On May 12, he was also said to have forged a Contract Completion Certificate (CCC) purported to have been issued by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Falomo, Lagos, to defraud Technical International Limited.

    Ajudua pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Following the defendant’s plea, his lawyer, Norrison Quakers, through an application dated June 1, applied for his bail.

    Quakers urged the court to grant his client bail and allow him to continue to enjoy same bail conditions as earlier granted by Justice Josephine Oyefeso in a related charge.

    The lawyer assured the court that his client would not jump bail.

    “We urge your lordship to grant the defendant’s bail because he was granted bail by your learned brother. He has never for once absented himself from court except when he was out of the country.

    “Also, we want my Lord to consider his bail application because of his health condition.

    “He will need medical attention from time to time and he cannot access that in the prison custody,” Quakers said.

    Counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Seidu Atteh, opposed the bail.

    He said: “My Lord, we shall be opposing the bail application but we leave the decision at the discretion of the court.”

    Justice Dada ordered that Ajudua be remanded in prison custody pending the court’s ruling on his bail application.

  • Alleged fraud: Court remands Ajudua in prison

    Serial fraudster, Fred Ajudua, was on Monday remanded in Kirikiri prison by the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, for allegedly defrauding one Ziad Abu Zalaf of $1.046million.

    Ajudua is expected to remain in prison till Tuesday when hearing on his bail application will take place.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Ajudua before Justice Mojisola Dada on a 12- count charge of fraud and conspiracy.

    According to the EFCC, Ajudua and his accomplice, Joseph Ochunor, had sometime in 1993 defrauded one Ziad Abu Zalaf of Technical International Limited, a company based in Germany.

    The arraignment of Ajudua and his accomplices had suffered several setback, leading to 44 adjournments by different judges.

    In a fresh charge filed on Monday, the EFCC alleged that Ajudua had on April 2, 1993, conspired with one Joseph Ochunor to obtain $268,000.00 from Zalaf.

     

  • Ajudua seeks to quash alleged $1m fraud charge

    Lagos socialist Fred Ajudua yesterday prayed an Ikeja High Court to quash an alleged $1 million fraud charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The anti-graft agency, in its charge in 1993, accused Ajudua and his accomplice, Joseph Ochunor, of defrauding Ziad Abu Zalaf of Technical International Limited in Germany, of $1 million.

    At the resumed proceedings before Justice Josephine Oyefeso yesterday, his counsel, Norrison Quakers (SAN), said he had two applications pending before the court and that the prosecution had been copied.

    Quakers accused the EFCC of not filing its court response on time.

    He said: “My lord, our application is dated May 9 and we are seeking that the fraud charge be struck out. We served the prosecution with a copy of the application on May 10.

    “The counter-affidavit of the prosecution was not filed within time and there was no application before the court to regularise same.”

    Counsel to the EFCC Mr. Seidu Atteh countered the senior lawyer’s claims, insisting that the prosecution responded within time.

    “We filed a counter-affidavit, dated May 17, and the learned senior counsel noted that there was a mistake on the date and we filed another one on October 10.

    “With the kind permission of the court, we will like to regularise same with an oral application.”

    After the oral application of the EFCC counsel, Quakers told the court that he would respond to the counter-affidavit of the prosecution within seven days.

    Justice Oyefeso adjourned the matter till November 30 to hear the application seeking to quash the fraud charge.