Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, adjourned indefinitely (sine die) the trial of Fred Ajudua over an alleged $1,043,000 fraud.
Ajudua is accused of defrauding a Palestinian national, Zad Abu Zalaf, of the sum under false pretences. The case, which originally began in 2005 before Justice M.O. Obadina of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, faced multiple delays due to legal technicalities employed by the defendant.
The matter was later reassigned to Justices J.E. Oyefeso and M.A. Dada, with Ajudua finally arraigned on June 4, 2018.
Following the denial of his bail by Justice Dada, Ajudua appealed to the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, which granted him bail on September 10, 2018. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), dissatisfied with the appellate court’s decision, took the matter to the Supreme Court. Both the bail and case transfer issues were ultimately resolved in favor of the prosecution, with the apex court directing that the case be reassigned to Justice Dada for the continuation of a speedy trial.
At Monday’s proceedings, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, counsel for Ajudua, informed the court that the defendant had filed a motion on notice. He stated:
“This matter was earlier adjourned for the continuation of trial. However, there is a supervening factor, which is the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on January 30, 2026, allowing the appeal against the ruling of the Lagos State High Court refusing the defendant bail.”
Ojo added that a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment had been attached to the motion filed on March 5, 2026, and argued that the court no longer had jurisdiction to continue the trial, requesting that the case file be sent to the Chief Judge of Lagos State for reassignment.
In response, the prosecuting counsel, S.K. Atteh, told the court:
“Although the Court of Appeal granted bail to the defendant, the judgment contained no order directing that the case be transferred to another court. Counsel to the defendant has also filed a motion at the Court of Appeal seeking clarification on the transfer, which is still pending.”
After considering submissions from both parties, Justice Dada struck out the motion on notice and adjourned the case sine die.
Meanwhile, Ajudua’s counsel, Ojo SAN, has also filed a separate motion at the Supreme Court on February 24, 2026, requesting the apex court to set aside its earlier judgment delivered on May 9, 2025.