By our Reporter
On Friday, May 5, 2025, the Supreme Court granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s appeal against a ruling by the Lagos Court of Appeal that had granted bail to socialite Fred Ajudua.
Ajudua is on trial for allegedly defrauding a Palestinian, Zad Abu Zalaf, of $1,043,000 under false pretenses.
His trial began in 2005 before Justice M.O. Obadina of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, but was repeatedly stalled through legal technicalities. The case was later reassigned—first to Justice J.E. Oyefeso and then to Justice M.A. Dada, before whom Ajudua was finally arraigned on June 4, 2018.
Following his bail denial, Ajudua approached the Court of Appeal, which granted him bail on September 10, 2018. The EFCC challenged this decision at the Supreme Court in suit SC/51C/2019. The Commission also filed suit SC/912C/2018 to challenge the appellate court’s order transferring the case from Justice Dada to another judge for a fresh start.
Delivering judgment, Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme upheld the EFCC’s appeals, stating that the Court of Appeal erred in granting Ajudua bail. The Supreme Court reinstated Justice Dada’s earlier ruling denying bail and ordered Ajudua’s remand in the Correctional Centre.
The court further directed the Chief Judge of Lagos State to reassign the case to Justice Dada for continuation of the trial.
It also ruled that appeal SC/912C/2019 had become academic since the issue—transferring the case to another judge—was no longer relevant.
