The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has commended the Supreme Court of Nigeria for its landmark and progressive judgment in the prolonged fraud case involving Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua. The apex Court’s decision to revoke the 2018 bail granted by the Court of Appeal and to return the matter to Justice Mojisola Dada is not only a victory for the rule of law but a step in the right direction towards restoring public confidence in the judiciary.
This commendation was contained in a statement signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, who hailed the Supreme Court for rising above technicalities and legal gymnastics to reinforce the sanctity of justice in the decades-old $1.43 million fraud trial.
“The Supreme Court has, once again, demonstrated that justice can prevail in Nigeria when courage and conscience guide the law. However, we must now match this significant ruling with a speedy and decisive dispensation of justice. For a case that began in 2005 to linger for nearly two decades is not only a mockery of our justice system but a betrayal of the victims’ quest for justice,” Suraju stated.
HEDA also expressed deep concern over the antics of some senior lawyers who have made it their stock-in-trade to employ delay tactics that frustrate the judicial process and ultimately shield high-profile individuals from accountability.
“It is disappointing and dangerous that some members of the Inner Bar have continually exploited the loopholes in our legal system to stall trials, abuse bail privileges, and deny victims and the nation the justice they deserve. We strongly caution such legal practitioners: you are not only impeding justice, you are complicit in enabling crimes and impunity,” the statement added.
Suraju emphasized that public trust in the justice system can only be maintained when trials are concluded within reasonable timeframes and legal loopholes are not weaponized by the powerful.
He further warned that “there shall be no peaceful retirement for those who loot the public treasury and rob innocent people of their hard-earned money. History will not forget, and justice—delayed though it—will not be denied.”
HEDA calls on the Lagos State Judiciary and relevant authorities to ensure that the resumed trial proceeds without further delays, while urging the EFCC to sustain its pursuit of justice with diligence and professionalism.
