Ola Wale
Fred Ajudua’s trial over an alleged $1.043 million fraud has been adjourned indefinitely by the Lagos State Special Offences Court. The adjournment follows a dispute over the reassignment of the case, with Ajudua’s counsel arguing that the current court no longer has jurisdiction due to a recent Court of Appeal judgment granting bail to Ajudua and ordering the case to be remitted to another court.
The case, which dates back to 2005, has faced repeated delays due to legal technicalities employed by Ajudua’s defense. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Ajudua for allegedly defrauding a Palestinian businessman, Zad Abu Zalaf, of $1,043,000 under false pretenses.
The Court of Appeal’s January 30, 2026, judgment granted Ajudua bail and directed that the substantive suit be remitted to another court to commence de novo (afresh). However, the EFCC has appealed this decision at the Supreme Court.
Ajudua’s lead counsel, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, informed the court that a Certified True Copy of the judgment had been forwarded to the court and attached to a motion on notice filed by the defense on March 5, 2026. He argued that the appellate court’s decision meant the current court no longer had jurisdiction to proceed with the trial.
Prosecuting counsel S.K. Atteh countered that the Court of Appeal judgment did not contain any order transferring the case to another court. He added that the defense had filed a motion at the Court of Appeal seeking clarification on the issue, which is pending.
The case has had a prolonged history in the courts, with Justice M.O. Obadina initially handling it before being reassigned to Justices J.E. Oyefeso and M.A. Dada. Ajudua was finally arraigned on June 4, 2018.
Justice Dada struck out the motion on notice and adjourned the matter sine die, effectively suspending further proceedings pending clarification of the legal issues raised.
The EFCC has been pursuing the case against Ajudua, alleging that he defrauded Zalaf under false pretenses.
