Supreme Court Slams Door on Fred Ajudua’s Bail, Orders Immediate Return to Prison in $1.43M Fraud Trial
In a seismic ruling that sends shockwaves through Nigeria’s legal and social elite, the Supreme Court on Friday revoked the bail earlier granted to flamboyant Lagos socialite and alleged fraudster Fred Ajudua, ordering his immediate remand in prison custody.
Delivering a unanimous judgment, a five-man panel of the apex court dismantled the bail granted by the Court of Appeal in 2018, declaring it a judicial overreach steeped in procedural irregularity.
Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, who read the lead judgment, minced no words as she condemned the appellate court’s decision, declaring it “an exercise in futility” after it had already ruled Ajudua’s appeal incompetent.
“The lower court, at that point, had no jurisdiction to proceed further. It had become functus officio,” she ruled, restoring the earlier decision of trial Judge Mojisola Dada who denied Ajudua bail in July 2018.
The decision marks a major victory for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which had petitioned the apex court to overturn what it described as a flawed and unjustified release of Ajudua—an accused at the center of a staggering $1.43 million international fraud.
The case, which has dragged for decades, centers around allegations that Ajudua, in concert with an accomplice still at large, duped a Palestinian businessman, Ziad Abu Zalaf, of millions under the guise of executing shady contracts backed by forged documents from the Central Bank of Nigeria and NNPC.
The scandal has long been a symbol of Nigeria’s struggle with high-profile financial crimes and delayed justice. With this ruling, the Supreme Court not only nullified the appeal court’s decision but also ordered a swift resumption of Ajudua’s long-stalled trial before Justice Dada of the Lagos High Court.
The EFCC had charged Ajudua in a 12-count indictment that included conspiracy to obtain money under false pretenses and forgery. Despite citing health concerns, Ajudua’s attempt to evade prosecution through bail has now been effectively shut down.
Legal observers say the ruling reasserts the authority of trial courts and reinforces the Supreme Court’s intolerance for procedural abuse in high-profile criminal cases.
“This appeal succeeds and it is hereby allowed,” Justice Nwosu-Iheme declared. “The respondent is to be remanded in prison custody.”
The court further directed that the matter be reassigned immediately for continuation of trial “within the shortest possible time.”
With the bail revoked and trial back on track, all eyes now return to the courtroom—where a case that began over three decades ago may finally see resolution.