The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has approached the Supreme Court of Nigeria seeking an order to revoke the bail granted to Lagos socialite, Fred Chijindu Ajudua, by the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, Lagos Division.
In a notice of appeal dated February 20, 2026 and filed in Abuja, the anti-graft agency is challenging the appellate court’s January 30, 2026 decision admitting Ajudua to bail in an alleged $1.043 million fraud case.
Through its counsel, S.K. Atteh, the EFCC argued that the Court of Appeal erred in law by dismissing the prosecution’s preliminary objection and proceeding to grant bail. The Commission contended that the appellate court failed to properly interpret an earlier judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on May 9, 2025 in related appeals involving Ajudua.
According to the EFCC, the apex court had effectively foreclosed further consideration of bail when it ordered that the defendant remain in custody pending the speedy trial of the charge. The Commission faulted the lower court’s position that the Supreme Court did not mandate Ajudua’s continued detention, describing it as inconsistent with the doctrine of judicial hierarchy and the finality of Supreme Court decisions.
At the centre of the dispute is the interpretation of aspects of the apex court’s ruling addressing the interplay between jurisdiction and bail. The EFCC maintained that the Court of Appeal failed to consider passages in the judgment which, in its view, conclusively determined the issue of bail and barred reconsideration by any lower court.
The Commission further argued that the appellate court’s decision contravened Sections 235 and 275(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which make Supreme Court decisions final and binding on subordinate courts.
Medical Grounds Contested
The EFCC also challenged the appellate court’s reliance on a medical report dated November 19, 2025 as constituting changed circumstances warranting bail.
The agency claimed that Ajudua had been diagnosed with kidney-related ailments since 1987 and had repeatedly relied on the condition to delay trial since the charge was instituted in 2005. It also alleged inconsistencies in medical reports issued by the same consultant and argued that the Court of Appeal failed to properly evaluate the evidence before granting bail.
The Commission warned that allowing the defendant to remain on bail could frustrate the Supreme Court’s directive for an expedited trial, citing an earlier instance in which only one prosecution witness was called over an extended period while the defendant was on bail.
The EFCC is urging the apex court to set aside the January 30, 2026 bail ruling and restore the trial court’s November 20, 2025 decision refusing bail.
No hearing date has yet been fixed at the Supreme Court.
Ajudua is standing trial for allegedly defrauding a Palestinian businessman, Zad Abu Zalaf, of $1.043 million.
