Tears as court remands Ajudua In Kirikiri Prison

Suspected serial fraudsters Fred Chijindu Ajudua literally drowned in his own tears after Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, refused a bail application filed by his counsel.

Ajudua is facing trial alongside one Joseph Ochunor on a 12-count charge bordering on fraud and conspiracy.

The defendants were alleged to have defrauded one Ziad Abu Zalaf of Technical International Limited in Germany of a sum of $550, 000 in 1993.

At the last adjourned sitting on June 13, 2018, counsel to Ajudua, Norrisson Quakkers, SAN, had urged the court to grant bail to his client on health grounds.

However, counsel to the prosecution, Temitope Banjo, who stood in for the lead counsel, Seidu Atteh, had told the court that Ajudua’s claim of ill health was no longer a valid reason for him to be granted bail.

The prosecution had further described the defendant as a flight risk.

Ruling, Justice Dada held that granting Ajudua bail would further truncate his trial that had suffered a setback since he was first arraigned on March 5, 2009 before Justice Oyefeso.

The Judge, therefore, ordered Ajudua to be transferred to Kirikiri Prison custody pending the determination of his bail application and commencement of trial.

Ajudua was re-arraigned before Justice Dada, following the re-assignment of the case file by the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, for accelerated trial.

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Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, refused a bail application filed by Fred Ajudua, a fraud suspect.

At the last adjourned sitting on June 13, 2018, counsel to Ajudua, Norrisson Quakkers, SAN, had urged the court to grant bail to his client on health grounds.

“We filed a seven-paragraph affidavit dated June 12, where we stated the medical situation of the defendant,” Quakkers had said.

However, counsel to the prosecution, Temitope Banjo, who stood in for the lead counsel, Seidu Atteh, had told the court that Ajudua’s claim of ill health was no longer a valid reason for him to be granted bail.

The prosecution had further described the defendant as a flight risk, adding that “The defendant has relied so much on health grounds for his bail, but an investigation by the Commission revealed that whenever court grants him bail, he will start to write letters of adjournment.”

Consequently, Justice Dada had adjourned to July 5(today) for determination of the bail application by the defendant.

Ruling on the application on Thursday, Justice Dada held that granting Ajudua bail would further truncate his trial that had suffered a setback since he was first arraigned on March 5, 2009 before Justice Oyefeso.

The Judge, therefore, ordered Ajudua to be transferred to Kirikiri Prison custody pending the determination of his bail application and commencement of trial.

Ajudua was re-arraigned before Justice Dada, following the re-assignment of the case file by the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, for accelerated trial.

The native of Ibusa, Delta State who studied law and graduated from the University of Benin, Edo State, has been in and out of Kirikiri prisons since year 2000.

In October 2003, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, the then Chairman of the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said Ajudua had twelve cases pending against him including an advance fee fraud of 1.6 million Euros and another of $1.5 million, both committed in 2001.

He was accused of collecting money from Nelson Allen, a Canadian who lost $250,000.

A German was also said to have lost $350,000 to him. He was said to have tricked more than $1.69-million out of two Dutch nationals between 1999 and 2000.

On July 26, 2005 the German woman, Frieda Springer-Beck, agreed to an out-of-court settlement after a long series of inconclusive court appearances dating back to 1993.

 

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