EFCC re-arraign Ajudua over $1m Scam
(Nigeria) Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, re arraigned an alleged fraudster, Fred Ajudua, before Justice K.A Jose of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on Thursday on a 28-count charge of offences bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretense.
The offense is contrary to Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee
Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 13 of 1995 as amended by Act No.
62 of 1999.
One of the charges reads, "That you, Fred Ajudua,
Alumile Adedeji a.k.a Ade Bendel (still at large), Mr. Jonathan (still at
large), Mr. Kenneth (still at large), Princess Amabong Williams (still at
large) and others still at large on or about December 16, 2004 at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this
Honourable Court; with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of $1,000 from Lt.
General Bamaiyi by falsely representing that the said sum was part payment for
the professional fees purportedly
charged by Chief Afe Babalola to handle Lt. Gen. Bamaiyi's case and to
facilitate General Bamaiyi's release from prison custody."
Another charge reads, "That you, Ajudua, Alumile
Adedeji a.k.a Ade Bendel (still at large), Mr. Jonathan (still at large), Mr.
Kenneth (still at large), Princess Amabong Williams (still at large) and others
still at large on or about December 27, 2004
at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court; with intent
to defraud, obtained the sum $350,000 from
Lt. General Bamaiyi(retd)by falsely representing that the said sum was
part payment for the professional fees
purportedly charged by Chief Afe Babalola to handle Lt. Gen Bamaiyi's case and
to facilitate Lt. General Bamaiyi's release from prison custody."
The defendant pleaded "not guilty" when the
charges were read to him and counsel to the EFCC, Saidu Ateh proceeded to ask
the court for a trial date.
At the last adjourned date, the defendant had compiled the
record of appeal and had it transmitted to the Court of Appeal, Lagos State
Division on the 10th of March 2014 and also filed a motion at the Court of
Appeal on the same day.
The former trial judge, Justice O. Ipaye had opined that
“The mere transmission of a record of appeal to the Court of Appeal does not
immediately assume jurisdiction of the matter.”
Speaking today before Justice Jose, counsel to the
defendant, S.A Quakers, urged her lordship to be bound by the decision of the
Court of Appeal granting the defendant bail.
Justice Jose asked that counsel file a new application for
bail which will be heard on the next adjourned date.
The matter was adjourned to 15, 20, 21 and 22 September for
trial.
Mr. Ajudua is being prosecuted by the EFCC for allegedly
collecting various sums of money from Mr. Bamaiyi while the duo were in custody
at Kirikiri Prison, Lagos.
The defendant and his accomplices had approached Mr.
Bamaiyi, who was facing trial for the attempted murder of Alex Ibru, the late
Publisher of The Guardian newspaper, and convinced him they could secure his
freedom.
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