The ongoing trial of socialite Fred Ajudua before Justice M.A. Dada of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, Lagos, continued on Friday, October 10, 2025, with the defendant announcing the withdrawal of a motion earlier filed at the Supreme Court.
Ajudua, who is facing charges for allegedly obtaining $1,043,000 from a Palestinian businessman, Zad Abu Zalaf, under false pretences, informed the court through his counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), that he had filed a notice of withdrawal at the Supreme Court on August 22, 2025, to enable the trial court to deliver its pending ruling on his bail application.
“We decided to withdraw the motion filed at the Supreme Court to allow this Honourable Court to deliver its ruling on the bail application,” Ojo said, while submitting an affidavit and a copy of the withdrawal notice to the court.
Ojo explained that although his client suffers from chronic kidney disease and severe hypertension, Ajudua was determined to appear in court in fulfilment of his legal obligations. He urged the court to proceed with the ruling on the bail application earlier slated for July 3, 2025, which was delayed due to the pending appeal.
However, the prosecution counsel, Seidu Atteh, argued that the trial court should wait for a formal pronouncement from the Supreme Court before taking any action. “When you file a motion before the court, it is assigned a number. The applicant may withdraw, but the court must await a formal ruling from the Supreme Court,” he said.
Atteh further confirmed that the prosecution had filed a counter-affidavit and written address dated September 26, 2025, in response to the bail application.
During the proceedings, the third prosecution witness, Afanda Bashir Emmanuel, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), continued his testimony under cross-examination. Emmanuel stated that he first met Ajudua in 2005 after the case file was transferred from the Nigeria Police Force’s Special Fraud Unit to the EFCC’s Advance Fee Fraud Section.
He said the EFCC sought information from several institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and the Commission’s forensic laboratory, as part of its investigations. Emmanuel also confirmed interviewing the complainant, Zad Abu Zalaf, and another witness, Michel Opkema, and visiting Ajudua at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, where he documented the interaction.
He added that statements obtained by the Police from Ajudua formed part of the EFCC’s case records.
Justice Dada adjourned the case to October 31, 2025, for the continuation of trial.
