EFCC Arrests Fred Ajudua Over $1.43m Fraud

Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested businessman and socialite Fred Ajudua in Abuja, days after the Supreme Court ordered his return to prison over a long-running $1.43m fraud case.

Ajudua, accused of defrauding a German firm in 1993, was taken into custody on Tuesday, May 13, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He had reportedly gone into hiding following last week’s court ruling that revoked his bail.

The Supreme Court ruled that the Court of Appeal erred in granting him bail and ordered his return to correctional custody. Ajudua, however, had not complied with the order until his arrest.

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The EFCC alleges Ajudua and an associate, Joseph Ochunor, used forged documents to swindle Palestinian-German businessman Ziad Abu Zalaf, acting for Technical International Ltd.

Originally arraigned in Lagos, Ajudua’s bail plea on health grounds was rejected in 2018. The Court of Appeal later granted bail, but the EFCC challenged the decision. The Supreme Court has now declared that ruling invalid.