Fred Ajudua discharged and acquitted of a $1.69m fraud charge

A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja today October 15th discharged and acquitted Fred Ajudua of a $1.69m fraud charge brought against him in 2003 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Ajudua is speculated to have duped two dutch businessmen of $1.69m which he and his alleged partner Charles Orie claimed can help facilitate government contracts worth $18m.

The case was closed today following the EFCC Counsel, Mrs E.A Sanusi appealed for the withdrawal of the case since no foreign witness was willing show up to testify against Ajudua. Following an appeal by the EFCC counsel, the presiding judge, Justice Kudirat Ajose ordered that Mr Ajudua be discharged of the charges. Meanwhile a brother case where Ajudua is accused of defrauding a former Chief of Army staff, Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi of $8.4m while they certainly were both serving prison time at the Kirikiri prison in Lagos between November 2004 and June 2005 continues to be before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye.