The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed the arrest of Fred Ajudua, a Lagos-based businessman and well-known socialite, over allegations of a $1.43 million fraud. His arrest took place on Tuesday in Abuja, following a Supreme Court ruling that ordered his bail be revoked and directed his immediate remand in a correctional facility.
The Supreme Court issued this order on Friday, May 5, 2025, overturning a previous decision by the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, which had granted Ajudua bail. This decisive move by the apex court underscores the judiciary’s growing insistence on accountability, especially in long-standing high-profile cases involving financial crimes.
According to a senior EFCC official who spoke to Vanguard under the condition of anonymity, Ajudua is currently in EFCC custody and will remain there pending his re-arraignment. “We have arrested Ajudua pending his re-arraignment in court. He was arrested in Abuja on Tuesday and he’s in our custody as we speak,” the official stated.
Fred Ajudua’s legal troubles are not new. His entanglement with the Nigerian justice system dates back to 1993 when he was accused of defrauding a German businessman of \$1.43 million. Over the decades, he has faced multiple allegations involving advance-fee fraud, a crime popularly known in Nigeria as “419.”
Among the most prominent of these allegations is a case involving two Dutch nationals, who claimed that Ajudua swindled them out of \$1.69 million between 1999 and 2000. Another major case from 2004 alleges that Ajudua defrauded the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi, of \$8.4 million while both men were detained at Kirikiri Prison in Lagos.
In 2016, the EFCC filed a 28-count charge against Ajudua, accusing him of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence. However, his prosecution has faced numerous setbacks. These include frequent delays, medical bail requests, and even a failed arrest attempt in 2007.
The latest case for which Ajudua was arrested involves a Palestinian businessman, Zad Abu Zalaf, who claims he was defrauded of \$1,043,000. This case, like many others associated with Ajudua, has seen years of legal wrangling and postponed hearings. His re-arraignment is now anticipated as the EFCC moves to press forward with prosecution.
There are also concerns that Ajudua may have tried to evade arrest following the Supreme Court’s ruling. Although the EFCC has not publicly confirmed whether he went into hiding, such reports raise broader issues about the enforcement of judicial orders and the ability of authorities to bring high-profile suspects to justice swiftly and efficiently.
Despite repeated attempts, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, declined to comment officially on the matter. Still, the arrest is being seen as a significant step in what has been a decades-long pursuit of justice in one of Nigeria’s most infamous fraud cases.
Fred Ajudua’s story is a reminder of how some fraud cases in Nigeria become deeply entangled in legal technicalities, health-related delays, and procedural loopholes. But with the Supreme Court now taking a firmer stand, there may be renewed hope for resolution and accountability. As the case proceeds, all eyes will be on the EFCC and the judiciary to ensure that justice, long delayed, is no longer denied.
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