Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The development, delivered on Monday, March 9, 2026, comes after more than two decades of starts, stops, and judicial interventions in a case that has repeatedly tested Nigeria’s criminal justice system and anti-corruption enforcement.
The charges against Ajudua date back to 1993 when he was accused of defrauding a Palestinian businessman, Zad Abu Zalaf, of an aggregate US$1,043,000 under false pretences, using forged documents and deceptive promises regarding lucrative business deals in Nigeria. The allegation was revived by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2005 before the Lagos High Court after earlier procedural setbacks, and has persisted in court for years amid repeated adjournments and legal manoeuvres.
During Monday’s proceedings before Justice Mojisola Dada, the presiding judge declined to set a fresh date, explaining that there was no substantive issue ready for hearing before the court. The defence had filed several motions and applications in prior sittings, and prosecutors continued to push for timely progress, but the judge ultimately concluded that without a clear, active matter to resolve, the next stage could not be scheduled. The indefinite adjournment leaves the case stalled with uncertainty over its next chapter.
At the heart of the matter is a 12-count indictment brought by the EFCC, which charges Ajudua with fraud, conspiracy, forgery, and uttering forged documents in connection with the alleged scam involving Mr. Abu Zalaf. The prosecution alleges that Ajudua induced his alleged victim to part with sums of money through false representations about contracts and business prospects, resorting in part to forged Central Bank of Nigeria and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation receipts to lend credibility to his claims. Ajudua has consistently denied wrongdoing.
The trial’s extraordinary longevity traces back to repeated procedural delays, appeals, and routine adjournments, many of which were initiated by the defence. The case — first filed nearly two decades ago — has been transferred between multiple judges, interrupted by bail applications, and repeatedly postponed due to various legal and health-related motions.
One major turning point came in May 2025, when the Supreme Court of Nigeria revoked a bail previously granted by the Court of Appeal, holding that the appellate court lacked jurisdiction to grant bail after a lower court ruling had deported it as incompetent. The apex court ordered that Ajudua be remanded in custody and that the case be returned to Justice Dada’s court to resume without further delay. Ajudua was subsequently re-arrested in Abuja and taken into EFCC custody, closing a chapter on a bail dispute that had itself dragged on for years.
In the months that followed, the trial resumed sporadically. In late 2025, the Supreme Court struck out a motion filed by Ajudua that sought to challenge the earlier apex judgment, removing a key obstacle that had previously stalled proceedings. Despite this, the defence continued to pursue a series of applications aimed at either securing bail on medical grounds or challenging aspects of the prosecution’s case.
Justice Dada, sitting in Ikeja, refused several bail applications over the past year. At one juncture in July 2025, the court denied a fresh bail request on the basis that a related Supreme Court application was pending — effectively leaving Ajudua in custody and deepening the perception that the trial’s delays had become self-perpetuating. In November 2025, the trial court also struck out an additional bail plea after determining it lacked merit, noting that submitted medical reports did not justify exceptional treatment.
The prosecution in the trial has presented multiple witnesses, including EFCC investigators and forensic experts, to substantiate the alleged fraudulent scheme and trace the flow of funds. Defence counsel has contested the admissibility of various documents and raised procedural objections that have contributed to the protracted nature of the matter.
Legal analysts observe that the indefinite adjournment highlights broader concerns about how Nigeria’s criminal justice system manages complex financial crime cases involving high-profile defendants, especially when those cases hinge on decades-old allegations and disputed evidence. Delays undermine the expectation of timely justice, raise questions about the preservation of witness testimony and records, and strain public confidence in prosecutorial effectiveness.
Ajudua himself remains a controversial figure, having been previously accused in various unrelated fraud allegations stretching back several decades, including claims involving other foreign national victims and separate advance-fee fraud schemes. These claims, some of which were settled out of court or dropped due to lack of evidence, have made Ajudua a widely recognised name in discussions about fraud enforcement in Nigeria, though the legal process has yet to yield a definitive conclusion in many of them.
For victims and observers, the latest development fuels anger and frustration at the slow pace of justice. Critics of the handling of the case argue that justice delayed is justice denied, especially when allegations involve substantial amounts of money and significant harm to international victims. Supporters of the EFCC’s efforts, however, emphasise the institution’s persistence in reviving and pursuing the matter at every judicial level, even when confronted with tactical legal delays.
As the matter stands, Fred Ajudua’s trial will not resume until further notice, with the next critical movement hinging on court administration, resolution of pending motions, or potential appellate interventions that could clarify the procedural path forward. The indecision marks another chapter in one of Nigeria’s longest-running alleged fraud prosecutions.
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