The trial of alleged fraudster, Fred Ajudua, continued on Friday before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, with arguments on his pending bail application and the cross-examination of third prosecution witness, Afanda Bashir Emmanuel.
Ajudua, who is alleged of defrauding a Palestinian national, Zad Abu Zalaf, of $1,043,000 under false pretences, appeared in court dressed in a white native attire and holding a walking stick.
Fred Ajudua seeks bail
At the resumed hearing, Ajudua’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, informed the court that his client had filed a notice of withdrawal of a motion previously before the Supreme Court of Nigeria to enable the lower court deliver its long-awaited ruling on his bail application.
Ojo told the court that the motion, filed at the apex court on June 24, 2025, was withdrawn on August 22, 2025.
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 submitting an affidavit and a copy of the withdrawal notice to the court.”
The defence counsel urged the court to proceed with the bail ruling, stressing that Fred Ajudua, despite suffering from chronic kidney disease and severe hypertension, has continued to attend trial in compliance with his legal undertakings.
However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, prosecution counsel, Seidu Atteh, opposed the move.
Atteh maintained that the trial court must wait for a formal pronouncement from the Supreme Court confirming the withdrawal.
“The defendant must produce the order of the Supreme Court either dismissing or striking out the notice of withdrawal,” Atteh insisted.
In her ruling, Justice Dada agreed with the prosecution’s submission, stating that the Court must be satisfied that the withdrawal had been formally considered by the apex court before acting on it.
“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,” she ruled.
The judge, however, allowed the continuation of trial pending further clarification from the Supreme Court.
Following the decision, the defence resumed the cross-examination of the third prosecution witness, an EFCC investigator.
Afanda testified that he first became involved in the case after Ajudua’s file was transferred from the Nigerian Police Force’s Special Fraud Unit to the EFCC’s Advance Fee Fraud Section.
He said the EFCC reached out to institutions including the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, and the EFCC’s forensic lab during its investigation.
The witness confirmed interviewing the complainant, Zad Abu Zalaf, and another witness, Michel Opkema, as well as visiting Ajudua at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, and documented proof of his visit.
The cross-examination, however, was abruptly halted when Ajudua took a break to use the toilet and later complained of bleeding.
His counsel immediately sought an adjournment on health grounds to allow the defendant seek medical attention.
Justice Dada subsequently adjourned the matter to October 31, 2025, for continuation of cross-examination.
