Lagos-based socialite and businessman, Fred Ajudua, has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja, following a Supreme Court order revoking his bail.
Ajudua, who is facing trial for allegedly defrauding a Palestinian businessman, Zad Abu Zalaf, of $1,043,000, was picked up by EFCC operatives on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, and is currently being held in the custody of the anti-graft agency.
According to Pun Newspaper, a senior EFCC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to a lack of authorisation to address the media, confirmed the arrest.
‘We have arrested Ajudua pending his re-arraignment in court. He was arrested in Abuja on Tuesday and he’s in our custody as we speak,’ the source stated.
However, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, declined to comment on the development.
The Supreme Court, in a ruling delivered on Friday, May 5, 2025, ordered Ajudua’s remand in a correctional facility and revoked the bail previously granted to him by the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal on September 10, 2018.
The long-standing case against Ajudua, which dates back to 2005, has been marred by multiple delays due to frequent reassignments between judges.
Initially handled by Justice Morenike Obadina of the Lagos High Court, the matter was later moved to Justices Josephine Oyefeso and subsequently to Justice Mojisola Dada.
During his arraignment in June 2018 before Justice Dada, Ajudua was denied bail owing to the protracted history and stalled progress of the trial.
The Court of Appeal later overturned that decision, granting him bail, a move the EFCC contested at the Supreme Court.
In its judgment, the apex court upheld the EFCC’s appeal, ordering the reinstatement of the original ruling that denied Ajudua bail.
It further directed the Chief Judge of Lagos State to reassign the case back to Justice Dada to continue with the trial.
With his bail now officially revoked, Ajudua is expected to be re-arraigned in the coming days as the legal battle resumes.
His arrest marks a significant step in the long-drawn case that has spanned nearly two decades, with fresh momentum now building towards its resolution.
