Metro

$1.43m Fraud: S’Court Revokes Lagos Socialite’s Bail, Orders Return To Prison

Published

7 months ago

May 9, 2025

The Supreme Court of Nigeria, on Friday, reversed the bail granted to Lagos socialite Fred Ajudua, who is facing trial over his alleged involvement in a $1.43m fraud.

The apex court, in a unanimous decision of a five-member panel, ordered that Ajudua be taken back to prison custody.

Further adding that the hearing should be resumed in the criminal charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

Recall that the Embassy of the State of Palestine, in a letter dated August 26, 1993, and addressed to the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and copied to the Inspector General of Police, alleged that Ajudua obtained approximately $1.43m by false pretence from Ziad Abu Zalaf, a Palestinian based in Germany.

EFCC investigated the allegations stated in the letter against Ajudua. Upon completion of its investigation, the EFCC filed a 12-count charge against him before the High Court of Lagos State in Ikeja.

The EFCC alleged that Ajudua conspired with one Joseph Ochunor, who remains at large, to obtain money by false pretence from Ziad Abu Zalaf of Technical International Ltd, a division of Mystic Company Ltd, a German-based company.

It further alleged that, with intent to defraud, Ajudua and Ochunor obtained $268,000 on April 2, 1993 and an additional $225,000 on May 12, 1993, from Zalaf.

The EFCC also claimed that Ajudua and Ochunor, in an effort to legitimise the alleged scam, forged receipts from the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and presented them as genuine to the foreigner.

Shortly after his arraignment, Ajudua’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, filed an application for his release on bail pending the trial’s conclusion, citing his client’s serious health challenges.

However, the application was denied by the Lagos High Court presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada, who ordered the defendant to submit to prosecution.

Dissatisfied with the decision, Ajudua appealed the trial court’s decision before the appellate court and got a favourable ruling.

A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal reversed Justice Dada’s decision and granted him bail.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Garba, the appellate court ruled that bail was the appellant’s constitutional right.

Dissatisfied with the judgment, the EFCC appealed the ruling before the Supreme Court to overturn the appellate court’s decision.

In its judgment on the appeal marked SC/CR/51/2019, the apex Court set aside the bail granted to the Ajudua on December 10, 2018 by the appellate court.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, the Supreme Court faulted the appellate court’s decision, stressing that it had no jurisdiction to grant bail after declaring the brief of argument supporting Ajudua’s appeal as incompetent.

The Supreme Court ruled that once Ajudua’s brief of argument was deemed incompetent and struck out, there was no basis for the appellate court to proceed further.

“It is crystal clear that the lower court was in line with the law when it declared the appellant’s brief of argument incompetent and struck it out.

“At that point, the appellant’s (Ajudua’s) appeal was extinguished. There was, therefore, nothing more to consider in that appeal. The lower court, at that point, had no jurisdiction to proceed further. It had become functus officio,” the apex court stated.

The court further held that the appellate court’s consideration of the arguments in the incompetent brief of argument was an exercise in futility.

“This appeal, having been determined on the issue of jurisdiction alone, renders the issue of bail inseparable from the appeal itself.

“This appeal succeeds and is hereby allowed. The decision of the trial court dated July 5, 2018, refusing bail to the respondent (Ajudua), is hereby restored.

“The respondent is to be remanded in prison custody. This case is remitted back to the Chief Judge of Lagos State for assignment to the same trial judge, Justice M. A. Dada, for the continuation of speedy trial and determination within the shortest possible time,” the Supreme Court held.

Metro

Why I Charged My Husband Money For Sex —Woman

Published

22 minutes ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

Matero Local Court, Zambia, has heard how a woman from Chisamba, sexually starved her husband for four years, after he failed to pay her K3,000 she charged him for having a child out of wedlock.

According to Zambia Observer, Sophia Kwale, 32, a teacher by profession, said in line with her tradition, as admission of guilt for having a child, her husband, Samuel Chongo, 38, was supposed to pay her the money commonly known as ‘ndapusa’ (admission of guilt).

“In my tradition, when a man has a child outside wedlock, he is supposed to apologise by paying ndapusa.

“This can be in money or material form.

“I asked him to pay me K3,000 only or he wasn’t going to have sex with me,” she said.

Sophia said her husband later refused to pay ndapusa but wanted to have sex with her, so she charged him K500 which he paid instantly before she allowed him to engage in the act.

“I charged him K500 to make love with me and he paid it instantly.

“This was only last month. Before that, we last had sex in 2021.

“I didn’t even enjoy the sex because it was forced,” she said.

Metro

Organ Harvesting: Ekiti Sacks Surgeon After Panel’s Findings, Suspends Support Staff

Published

38 minutes ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

Ekiti State government has dismissed the Surgeon who had primary responsibility for the surgery of a patient whose kidneys were removed from the service of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) with immediate effect.

This followed the submission of the report of the 7-man investigation panel chaired by Professor Francis Faduyile to the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani.

Recall the panel was constituted 11 days ago to investigate the claim made by a patient, Mr. Joshua Afolayan regarding a surgical procedure he underwent at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH).

According to a statement by Filani, “Upon careful review of the report and its recommendations, the Ekiti State government has approved the following actions:

“That the surgeon who had primary responsibility for the surgery is to be dismissed from the service of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) with immediate effect.

“All members of the surgical team present in the theatre on the day of the operation are to be suspended from duty for a period of one month, pending further administrative review.

“The Ekiti State government will bear the full cost of a new kidney transplant for Afolayan, will take responsibility for his post-transplant care as well as transplant related medical maintenance for a period of two years.

“In line with the recommendations of the panel, a comprehensive reorganisation of relevant departments within EKSUTH will be undertaken to strengthen clinical governance, accountability, and patient safety.”

Filani said that while the Ekiti State government continues to stand firmly behind the many dedicated and hardworking health professionals at EKSUTH and acknowledges their sacrifices and commitment to service, it would not hesitate to take decisive action where professional standards are breached.

“The government remains resolute in its commitment to protecting patients, upholding ethical and professional standards in healthcare delivery, and restoring and sustaining public confidence in the Ekiti State health system.

“Necessary reforms will be pursued to ensure that incidents of this nature do not re-occur and that EKSUTH continues to serve as a centre of excellence in patient care.

“We thank the people of Ekiti State for their patience, and trust, and we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to continued improvement in quality health care, compassion, and responsible governance.”

Metro

My Ex-husband Has Refused To Give Me, Our Unborn Child, Money For Upkeep, Woman Tells Court

Published

45 minutes ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

Please, grant me time to settle the issue —Husband

A pregnant woman, Harira Aliyu, has asked a Shari’a court sitting in Rigasa, Kaduna State, to compel her former husband, Nasiru Al-Hassan to provide financial support for her upkeep.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the complainant also prayed the court to confirm one pronouncement of divorce made by Nasiru in March.

“I am eight months pregnant. Since our divorce in March, he has only been able to send me money for two months for my upkeep and our unborn child.

“It is important that he continues to provide for me as I await delivery in a month’s time,” she told the court.

In his defense, the defendant who spoke through his counsel, Abubakar Sani, said he was just briefed recently.

He asked the court to give him more time to respond to the petition.

The judge, Malam Mukhtar Aliyu adjourned the case.