The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Lagos-based socialite and businessman, Fred Ajudua, in connection with a long-standing $1.43 million fraud case.
He was picked up in Abuja on Tuesday and is currently in EFCC custody.
Ajudua, who has been entangled in legal proceedings for allegedly defrauding a German company over three decades ago, faces re-arraignment following a recent Supreme Court ruling. The apex court, on May 9, 2025, revoked his bail and ordered his remand, overturning an earlier decision by the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, which had granted him bail.
In its unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court held that the Appeal Court had erred in law, and directed that Ajudua be returned to correctional custody. It also ordered Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State High Court to resume hearing the trial.
Originally charged before Justice Josephine Oyefeso, Ajudua’s case was later re-filed by the EFCC and reassigned to Justice Dada. At his re-arraignment on July 6, 2018, Justice Dada denied bail on health grounds, stressing the prolonged delays in the trial, which had dragged for more than 13 years.
“This case is one of the oldest in Lagos State. Bail is refused and the defendant is to be remanded in prison custody,” the judge ruled at the time.
However, his legal team, led by Olalekan Ojo, SAN, successfully appealed the decision. Justice Mohammed Garba of the Court of Appeal held that bail was a constitutional right and allowed Ajudua to remain free under the previous conditions—until the Supreme Court’s latest intervention reversed that outcome.
When contacted, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale declined to comment on the development.
What you should know
Fred Ajudua’s case is among the longest-running fraud trials in Nigeria, dating back over 30 years.
His latest arrest marks a new chapter in the protracted legal battle, following a decisive Supreme Court ruling that prioritizes the continuation of the trial over claims of prolonged health-related delays.
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