Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, remanded over alleged $1.69m fraud

An Ikeja High Court on Tuesday remanded a Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, in prison custody over an alleged $1.69 million (about N252.8 million) fraud.
Justice Joseph Oyewole ordered Ajudua to be remanded in custody when he made his first appearance in court after avoiding trial for eight years.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ajudua and his co-accused, Charles Hijiudu, were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2003.
The duo were accused of defrauding two Dutch businessmen – Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen – of the sum between July 1999 and September 2000.
The case was, however, stalled after Ajudua, who was on bail, stopped attending court.
The judge had on December 15, 2005 revoked Ajudua’s bail and had issued a bench warrant for his arrest on January 24, 2006.
However, for eight years, the police were unable to execute the court’s order of arrest until Ajudua finally appeared before the court on Tuesday.
Addressing the court during the proceedings, Oyewole noted that the case had been held up because of the inability of the police to apprehend Ajudua.
He said that since the accused person’s bail had been revoked, it would still remain for him to justify if he was worthy of being granted bail.
The judge further rejected the appeal by Ajudua’s Counsel, Olalekan Ojo, for his client to be remanded in EFCC’s custody.
He said: “The first accused is hereby ordered to be remanded in prison.
“The Superintendent of Prison shall ensure that the accused is given unrestricted access to medical treatment, including being taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, as an out-patient when occasion demands.”
The Counsel of the EFCC, Wemimo Ogunde, SAN, opposed Ajudua’s application seeking to reverse the order of arrest.
The matter was adjourned till June 24 for hearing of Ajudua’s bail application and his application to quash the charges.