Lagos High Court Denies Socialite, Fred Ajudua

A Lagos High Court has denied former Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, who is facing different allegations of fraud bail.

Mr Ajudua is facing a $5.9 million fraud charge before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye on 14 counts of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretences

Mr Ajudua was arraigned before Justice Ipaye on March 11 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ajudua’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, had in an application urged the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms, adding that there is overwhelming medical evidence that he is suffering from a life-threatening ailment as his only surviving kidney is about to collapse.

He  claimed that he now lives on one kidney and lacks adequate treatment at the Kirikiri maximum prison, adding that his continued incarceration could worsen his health situation.

He had also presented a medical report by Dr I. O. Mabogunje of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), which indicated that there are now undue stress on the one kidney.

In her ruling on Tuesday, Justice Ipaye, said that the ‘fact that the applicant had failed to appear before the court after being earlier granted by another judge.’

“The risk of the applicant not appearing for his trial is very high due to previous antecedent. Therefore, the applicant’s application for bail lacks merit and is hereby refused,” she said.

It would be recalled that Ajudua was granted bail by Justice Olubunmi Oyewole of an Ikeja High Court ( now of Court of Appeal) in 2003 but he later absconded. A bench warrant was issued on him but he made a sudden appearance before the court in 2013.

The matter was adjourned till June 30, July 1 and 4, 2014 for commencement of trial.

Tribune