Reported by: Ime Richard Aondofa | Edited by: Henry Owen
The long-running fraud case involving Lagos businessman and socialite Fred Ajudua resumed on Friday, October 10, 2025, before Justice M.A. Dada of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja. During the proceedings, Ajudua’s legal team announced that he had withdrawn a motion previously filed at the Supreme Court, signaling a renewed focus on continuing the trial.
Ajudua is accused of defrauding a Palestinian national, Zad Abu Zalaf, of about $1,043,000 in what investigators described as a fraudulent business transaction. The case, which dates back to the mid-2000s, has faced numerous delays due to multiple legal challenges and reassignments between different judges.
His counsel, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, informed the court that the notice of withdrawal had been filed on August 22, 2025, to clear the way for the trial court to rule on a pending bail application. Ojo explained that although his client suffers from severe hypertension and kidney complications, he had chosen to appear in person to honour his legal commitments.
However, prosecuting counsel Seidu Atteh from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) argued that the trial court should await an official confirmation from the Supreme Court before taking any further action. Atteh noted that while a party may withdraw an appeal, such withdrawal becomes valid only after acknowledgment by the apex court.
The court also continued with the cross-examination of the EFCC’s third witness, Afanda Bashir Emmanuel, who works in the Commission’s Advance Fee Fraud Section. Emmanuel told the court that he first encountered Ajudua in 2005, when the EFCC took over the case from the Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU).
He explained that the EFCC reached out to several institutions—including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and the Commission’s forensic unit—to gather supporting evidence. The witness also confirmed interviewing both the complainant, Abu Zalaf, and another individual, Michel Opkema, as part of the investigation.
Emmanuel added that he had visited Ajudua at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, where he obtained written statements that were later included in the EFCC’s final report.
After hearing submissions from both sides, Justice Dada adjourned the matter until October 31, 2025, for continuation of trial proceedings.
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