The Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, was on Wednesday informed that embattled businessman Fred Chijindu Ajudua could not appear before Justice Mojisola Dada due to ongoing medical treatment at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba.
His counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), conveyed this development to the court, citing a written confirmation from the Ikoyi Medium Correctional Centre stating that Ajudua is receiving treatment at LUTH.
Ojo explained that following the Supreme Court judgment delivered on May 9, 2025, Ajudua voluntarily surrendered himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja.
He was accompanied by Senator Ned Nwoko, who represents the Delta North Senatorial District, and Ojo himself.
“After the judgment of the Supreme Court, the defendant, upon reading it online, decided to submit himself to the EFCC on May 13, 2025.
“He did so voluntarily even though we had no access to the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment at the time,” the senior lawyer stated.
He further affirmed that the defendant’s absence was not deliberate, but as a result of medical necessity.
Responding, EFCC counsel, Seidu Atteh, informed the court that the prosecution was fully prepared to continue with its case, stating that two key witnesses were already present in court.
“We have two witnesses here today, one from Enugu and the other from Port Harcourt. They are both ready to testify,” Atteh said.
The case revolves around allegations that Ajudua, in collaboration with a still-at-large accomplice, Joseph Ochunor, obtained large sums of money under false pretences from a German businessman, Zaid Abu Zalaf, of Technical International Limited, a subsidiary of Mystic Limited.
According to the EFCC, Ajudua and Ochunor fraudulently received $268,000 on April 2, 1993, and another $225,000 subsequently, while falsely claiming the transactions were official dealings with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
The commission also alleged the duo forged official receipts from both institutions to perpetrate the fraud.
Justice Dada adjourned the matter to July 30, 2025, for further proceedings.
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