Ajudua remanded in prison for defrauding Bamaiyi of $5.9m

A Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, was on Tuesday docked for allegedly defrauding a former Chief of Army Staff, retired Lieutenant General Ishaya Bamaiyi, of $5.9 million (about N1 billion).
Ajudua was arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of an Ikeja High Court in Lagos State.
He was charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a 14-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.
Prior to his arraignment, the judge dismissed an application for stay of proceedings, filed by Ajudua’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo.
Ipaye refused Ajudua taking his plea as requested by EFCC’s Counsel, Kingsley Olusesi.
Olusesi had earlier told the court that Ajudua had conspired with others, still at large, to commit the offences between November 2004 and June 2005.
He named other suspects, still at large as Alumile Adedeji, (a.k.a. Ade Bendel), one Keneth and Princess Hamabon William.
Olusesi said that Ajudua defrauded Bamaiyi at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, where Ajudua and the other suspects were on remand for various crimes.
The counsel said that the defendant collected the money from Bamaiyi in instalments by falsely claiming that the payments represented the professional fees charged by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN).
He said that Ajudua obtained the money under the pretext of facilitating Bamaiyi’s release from prison.
Olusesi said that the offences 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.
The offence of obtaining money by false pretence attracts a minimum of seven years imprisonment if a defendant is convicted.
Ajudua, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The judge ordered him to remain in prison custody and adjourned the matter to April 8 for the hearing of pending applications.
Ajudua and one Charles Orie are being prosecuted since 2003 by the EFCC for allegedly defrauding two Dutch businessmen, Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen, of $1.69 million (about N270 million).