Ajudua’s $8.4m Fraud Trial Stalled Again

Aknwale Akintunde
The trial of a one time Lagos socialite, Mr. Fred Ajudua, over allegations that he defrauded former Chief of Army Staff, General Ishaya Bamaiyi (trd), of $8.4million was again stalled yesterday following an application he filed to challenge the power of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prosecute him.

The EFCC charged Ajudua for allegedly collecting various sums of money from Gen. Bamaiyi while the duo were in custody at Kirikiri Prison, Lagos.

According to EFCC, Ajudua alongside his accomplices allegedly defrauded Bamaiyi at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, where he and the other fraud suspects were remanded for alleged murder of late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.
The anti-graft agency also alleged that Ajudua and others fraudulently claimed that $1m out of the total money collected from Bamaiyi was for financial assistance for the treatment of Justice Olubunmi Oyewole’s father, who was handling Bamaiyi’s case then.

Also, the former Chief of Army Staff, was said to have parted with the money in foreign currency to also bribe some eminent personalities to intervene in his case where he was charged alongside Major Hamza Al-Mustapha for the alleged murder. He was latter discharged and acquitted by the trial court.

The suspects were said to have informed Bamaiyi that Oyewole’s father, was admitted at Saint Nicholas in Lagos and the $1million was meant to assist the judge in treating his father.

EFCC said the offences of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretences contravened Sections 8(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud Related Offences Act. No. 13 of 1995 as amended by Act No. 62 of 1999.

However, Ajudua co-defendant, Oluronke Rosulu, who was Justice Oyewole’s Court Registrar, opted for separate trial and was last year sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by Justice Lawal-Akapo.
Ajudua’s trial was originally before Justice Kudirat Jose but was last year transferred to Justice Josephine Efunkunbi Oyefeso.

At yesterday’s proceedings, Ajudua who wore white caftan opposed EFCC’s effort to re-arraign him on an amended charge.
Ajudua’s lawyer, Mr. S.A Quakers (SAN), told the court that under the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, the EFCC has no powers to prosecute his client.

Quakers also raised objection against the amended charges stating that his client cannot be arraigned on the new information before the court since the anti-graft agency failed to obtain his witness statement. Responding, EFCC lawyer, Seidu Atteh, countered the argument saying that it was not necessary for the EFCC to obtain statement from defendant simply because the charges were amended.

Atteh pointed out that Ajudua had personally refused to volunteer any statement to the commission over the allegations against him.

Justice Oyefeso insisted that parties should harmonise their arguments instead of presenting them peace-meal.
She adjourned that matter till February 13, 2017 to hear argument of both parties.