Alleged $1m Fraud: Court Adjourns Fred Ajudua’s Trial Indefinitely over Reassignment Dispute

A Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, has adjourned indefinitely the trial of socialite Fred Ajudua over an alleged $1 milllion fraud.

Justice Mojisola Dada announced the adjournment on Monday after arguments between the prosecution and defence over the interpretation of a recent Court of Appeal judgment.

Ajudua is standing trial in a case that began in 2005 over allegations that he defrauded a Palestinian businessman, Zad Abu Zalaf, of $1,043,000.

The matter was initially assigned to Justice Morenike Obadina of the Lagos High Court, but arraignment did not take place before it was reassigned to Justice Josephine Oyefeso. The case was later transferred again to Justice Dada.

Ajudua was eventually arraigned on June 4, 2018.

At the commencement of the trial, Justice Dada refused the defendant’s bail application, citing prolonged delay the case had suffered.

The defendant subsequently approached the Court of Appeal in Lagos, which granted him bail on September 10, 2018.

However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) challenged the ruling at the Supreme Court.

In May 2025, the Supreme Court revoked the bail granted by the appellate court and ordered the reinstatement of the earlier ruling of the lower court that denied Ajudua bail.

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The apex court also directed the Chief Judge of Lagos State to reassign the case to Justice Dada for the continuation of the trial.

Following the reassignment, Ajudua filed another bail application, which the court rejected in November 2025.

Dissatisfied with the decision, the defendant appealed.

In January 2026, the Court of Appeal in Yola set aside the November 2025 ruling of the Lagos court and granted Ajudua bail.

The appellate court held that the trial court misapplied the Supreme Court’s May 2025 judgment in refusing the fresh bail request, noting that the apex court did not expressly bar the defendant from filing another bail application.

The EFCC has since approached the Supreme Court seeking to review the appellate court’s judgment.

Monday’s Proceedings

During Monday’s proceedings, counsel to Ajudua, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), informed the court that the defence had filed a motion on notice and attached a certified true copy of the Court of Appeal judgment.

Ojo said the appellate court granted bail to his client and also ordered that the substantive case be remitted to another court to commence de novo, that is, afresh.

According to him, the Lagos court no longer has jurisdiction to continue with the matter except to forward the case file to the Chief Judge of Lagos State for reassignment in line with the appellate court’s ruling.

He added that although the decision granting bail had been appealed, the judgment remained valid until it is set aside.

“There is a supervening factor, which is the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on January 30, 2026, allowing the appeal against the ruling of the Lagos State High Court refusing the defendant bail,” Ojo said.

“Until that judgment is set aside, the court must act on it. We have written to the Chief Judge of Lagos State to reassign the case to another judge of the High Court.”

Responding, the prosecuting counsel, S.K. Atteh, said the prosecution only received the defence application late on Friday.

Atteh argued that the Court of Appeal judgment did not direct that the case be transferred to another court but merely granted bail to the defendant.

He added that the defence had filed another motion before the Court of Appeal seeking clarification on whether the case should be reassigned to another judge, a move he said contradicts the earlier decision of the Supreme Court on the matter.