Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, July 30, 2025, refused a fresh bail application filed by Fred Ajudua, who is standing trial for allegedly defrauding a Palestinian businessman, Zad Abu Zalaf, of $1,043,000.
At the resumed sitting on Wednesday , Ajudua, who appeared in court accompanied by medical personnel from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), sought a fresh bail on medical grounds.
His counsel, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, informed the court that efforts had been made to ensure the defendant’s presence in court despite ongoing treatment.
“I assured this court on July 23 that the defendant would be present today. With the cooperation of medical personnel from LUTH, and despite their policy of not releasing patients under special care, he was allowed to attend court,” he said.
He further argued that trial should proceed, stating that Ajudua was fit to face proceedings and had filed a fresh application dated and filed July 22, 2025, supported by a 12-paragraph affidavit and a written address.
However, the prosecuting counsel, S.H. Atteh, opposed the bail application, citing a counter-affidavit with attached exhibits, including a Supreme Court judgment.
Atteh argued that the matter should have been taken before the Supreme Court, given the pendency of related appeals.
Justice Dada, in her ruling, held that “In view of the application pending before the Supreme Court, I am constrained to make any pronouncement on this bail application. I will abide by the decisions of the Supreme Court.”
The prosecution, thereafter, called its third witness, PW3 Bashir Emmanuel Afanda, an EFCC operative, who narrated how the defendant’s case was transferred from the Nigeria Police to the EFCC between 2005 and 2011.
According to him, the investigation involved letters and documents linked to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce.
“In July 2013, Forensic Analysis was conducted on the documents, and correspondence was received from the CBN, NNPC, and the EFCC’s forensic laboratory in Abuja,” he said.
Afanda also stated that he interviewed the complainant in 2018 and reviewed documentation allegedly emanating from Ajudua.
Responding, Ojo, objected to the admissibility of several documents tendered by the prosecution, particularly those not certified or authored by the witness, including photocopies of forensic reports.
He argued that PW3 was not the author of the documents and that no foundation had been laid by the prosecution to justify their admission.
In her ruling , Justice Dada admitted Exhibits P1 and P2 into evidence, but rejected the forensic report and CBN documents (marked Exhibits 3 and 4), upholding the defence’s objection.
The matter was adjourned till October 10, October 31, and November 20, 2025, for continuation of trial.
