Court Stalls Ajudua’s $1.04m Fraud Case

Court Stalls Ajudua’s $1.04m Fraud Case

A Lagos court has postponed indefinitely the long-running fraud trial of alleged internet scam figure Fred Ajudua over a $1.043 million case.

The decision was taken by Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja after new legal disagreements emerged during the latest hearing.

Ajudua is accused of defrauding a Palestinian businessman, Zad Abu Zalaf, of $1,043,000 under false pretences, according to Dele Oyewale, EFCC Head, Media and Publicity in a statement on Tuesday.

The case has been in the courts for more than two decades after it was first filed in 2005 at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja.

After the arraignment, the trial judge initially refused the defendant bail, but the Court of Appeal later granted him bail in September 2018.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission challenged that decision at the Supreme Court, which later ruled in favour of the prosecution and returned the case for continuation before Justice Dada.

Fresh disputes surfaced during the latest proceedings when defence counsel Olalekan Ojo informed the court about a new Court of Appeal judgment delivered on January 30, 2026.

He argued that the ruling required the case to be moved to another judge for a fresh trial.

The prosecution disagreed, insisting that the appellate court did not direct that the case be transferred to another court.

After hearing both sides, Justice Dada struck out the defence motion and adjourned the matter sine die, leaving the trial without a new hearing date.

The development adds another chapter to a case that has faced continuous legal battles for more than twenty years.