Metro

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

Published

4 months ago

May 9, 2025

Editor

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

12 IDPs Suffer Snake Bites In Benue Camps

Published

14 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Editor

No fewer than twelve Internally Displaced Persons from Agagbe camps in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State have suffered snake bite between January and now.

Terna Ibaah, also an IDP who spoke to our correspondent on Sunday from one of the camps in Agagbe, said that the latest victim was a 14-year-old Chagu Terhemen who was bitten by a snake last Friday without medical treatment.

Ibaah said, “Snake has bitten Master Chagu Terhemen, 14 years, who was displaced from his village, Tse Abian, in the Sengev Council Ward of Gwer West LGA.

“The 14-year-old boy was going to the farm with his father, Tse Kyomke Mbapupuu, in Gaambe Ushin Council Ward when he was bitten by a snake.”

He added that they had applied traditional treatment, but it seems not to be working, as the victim, as of Sunday afternoon, started convulsing.

He added that the fear of losing the young man necessitated the alarm raised, and added that the medical personnel only visit the IDP camps between Monday and Thursday.

When asked if there had been frequent snake bites of IDPs in Agagbe community, Ibaah said, “From January this year till now, we have recorded 12 victims of snake bites in Agagbe among the IDPs. Fortunately, no one has died.”

Ibaah, who is also a displaced person who claimed that most of the victims of snakebite were being treated with traditional medicine, accused the representative of the State Emergency Management Agency in the camp of neglecting the victims of the snakebite.

“The camp manager said that they cannot treat him because he is not staying in the camp, but he knows that due to congestion in the camps, some of the registered IDPs stay with the host community. The victim registration number is 81XO1649,” Ibaah said.

Ibaah said that there are five places where IDPs are camped in Agabe, namely, RCM Primary School, Sisters Convent, Saint Francis Secondary School, the old police station and Adzequa store, all in Agagbe and added that they were all congested.

When contacted, the Information Officer of SEMA, Tema Ager, said that the agency had a Memorandum of Understanding with the State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, where they could rush the patient for treatment.

Ager said, “But SEMA has an MOU with the State University Teaching Hospital, where they can rush the patient for treatment.”

The Information Officer, however, said that as long as the victim is a registered IDP, he should be allowed to be taken for treatment at the Teaching Hospital.

Metro

Mob Lynches Woman Over Alleged Blasphemous Utterance In Niger

Published

14 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Editor

The Niger State command of the Nigeria Police Force has confirmed a lady, simply known as Ammaye, was burnt to death by a mob over an alleged blasphemous utterance against the Islamic faith before security reinforcement could arrive.

Spokesman of the Command, Wasiu Abiodun, who revealed this in a statement on Sunday, said efforts are ongoing to identify, arrest, and prosecute all those involved in the crime.

Ammaye, a food seller, was lynched and set ablaze in Mariga Local Government Area of the state by suspected angry youths over alleged blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.

According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred at Kasuwan Garba in the council area, when the lady, a Muslim faithful and well-known food seller, was said to have engaged in an exchange of words with a young man said to be her nephew.

The young man was said to have jokingly told Ammaye that he wanted to marry her to “fulfil the Sunnah”. The lady was said to have made comments considered blasphemous.

This was said to have outraged the young men in the neighbourhood. The matter was taken to the palace of the District Head of Kasuwan Garba, where the lady was interrogated, and she allegedly repeated what she had earlier said.

The District Head was said to have handed Ammaye over to security operatives for further investigation, but a crowd of agitated youths overpowered the security operatives, insisting on her immediate execution.

It was learnt that before security reinforcement could arrive, the mob, made up of young men, had stoned Ammaye to death.

Niger State Police spokesman disclosed that the tragic incident occurred on 30th August, 2025, at about 2:00 pm.

According to him, “a report was received that one Amaye, a female resident of Kasuwan-Garba in Mariga LGA, allegedly made some utterances considered offensive to the Islamic faith. Her comments quickly provoked anger among members of the community.

“Unfortunately, it led to a mob attack, and the woman was set ablaze before the reinforcement of security teams could arrive at the scene,” Abiodun stated.

The spokesman said that while normalcy has since been restored to the area, the Police Command strongly condemns the act of jungle justice and assured that efforts are underway to identify, arrest, and prosecute all those involved in the crime.

Abiodun appealed to members of the public to remain calm, avoid taking the law into their own hands, and allow security agencies to handle sensitive matters in line with the provisions of the law.

The Chairman of Mariga Local Government, Abbas Adamu, who also confirmed the incident, reaffirmed that calm has since been restored to the area.

Metro

Police Arrest Suspected Fake Lawyer In Ogun

Published

15 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Editor

The Zone XI Police Headquarters has arrested a suspected fake lawyer identified as Emmanuel Odeh, parading himself as a qualified attorney for almost 10 years mostly in Lagos and Abuja.

According to The PUNCH, Odeh has been allegedly duping unsuspecting Nigerians under the guise of legal representation, estate agency, and public consultancy.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Ade Ogunyemi, who disclosed Odeh was arrested by operatives of the X-Squad Section of the Zone, led by ACP Akinloye Oyegade.

He explained that Odeh was arrested on Thursday at a court in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while appearing as counsel for a client.

“Emmanuel Odeh was arrested on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at a court premises in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while standing as a legal representative for an unsuspecting client.

“ACP Oyegade stated that the self-acclaimed lawyer had been under investigation for impersonation and fraud.

“Investigations revealed that the suspect operated under the name A O EMMANUEL, LEGAL PRACTITIONER AND PUBLIC CONSULTANT,” the statement partly read.

Ogunyemi said the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone XI Headquarters, Osogbo, Emuobo Ekokotu, urged Nigerians to always verify the authenticity of legal practitioners before engaging their services.

AIG Ekokotu described the case as another clear example of why Nigerians must be vigilant.

“This case underscores the dangers of dealing with unverified legal practitioners.

“Victims of such impostors risk losing their hard-earned money, suffering inadequate legal representation, having their cases compromised, and even facing damage to their reputation,” he said.

He warned that the police will not hesitate to bring impersonators to justice.

“This incident should serve as a deterrent to criminal-minded individuals who falsely present themselves as lawyers in order to exploit innocent citizens.

“The long arm of the law will always catch up with them,” Ekokotu stated.

Ogunyemi confirmed that the suspect would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.