The Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has rejected a fresh bail application filed by businessman and socialite Fred Ajudua, who is on trial for allegedly defrauding Palestinian investor Zad Abu Zalaf of $1.043 million.
Delivering her ruling on Thursday, November 20, 2025, Justice Mojisola Dada held that Ajudua failed to provide any new or compelling facts to justify revisiting his earlier bail request. She described the application as “not meritorious” and struck it out.
Justice Dada noted that the two medical reports submitted from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) did not indicate that the facility lacked the capacity to manage Ajudua’s health condition. “There is nothing alarming in the application that will warrant a change in the circumstance of the defendant… The application is unmeritorious and is hereby struck out,” she ruled.
Following the decision, Ajudua’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), drew the court’s attention to a pending application dated November 17, 2025, challenging the competence of the third prosecution witness (PW3) to continue giving evidence. He urged the court to hear the motion before trial continues. Prosecuting counsel Seidu Atteh confirmed receipt of the application and requested time to respond on points of law.
The development comes shortly after the Supreme Court struck out a motion filed by Ajudua challenging its earlier judgment on the same fraud case — a motion he had already sought to withdraw at the lower court. With the apex court’s decision clearing procedural hurdles, the long-running trial resumed on October 31, 2025, before Justice Dada.
The case, which began in 2005 before Justice M.O. Obadina, has faced repeated delays attributed largely to multiple applications filed by the defence. It was later reassigned to Justice J.E. Oyefeso before being transferred to Justice Dada, where Ajudua was re-arraigned on June 4, 2018.
Justice Dada on Thursday ordered the defence to proceed with the cross-examination of PW3, Afanda Bashir Emmanuel. The matter was adjourned to November 28, 2025, for hearing of the pending application and continuation of trial.
