The trial of Nigerian businessman Fred Ajudua over an alleged $1.043 million fraud has been adjourned indefinitely by the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos.
Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court ordered the adjournment on Monday after hearing submissions from both the defence and prosecution regarding a recent Court of Appeal judgment.
Ajudua is facing trial for allegedly defrauding a Palestinian, Zad Abu Zalaf, of $1,043,000 under false pretences.
The case dates back to 2005 when it first began before Justice M.O. Obadina of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja. Proceedings were repeatedly delayed over the years due to legal challenges that stalled Ajudua’s arraignment.
The matter was later reassigned to Justice J.E. Oyefeso and subsequently to Justice Dada, before whom Ajudua was finally arraigned on June 4, 2018.
After Justice Dada initially denied him bail, Ajudua appealed to the Court of Appeal in Lagos, which granted him bail on September 10, 2018.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) challenged that ruling at the Supreme Court, which later resolved issues surrounding the transfer of the case and ordered that it continue before Justice Dada.
At Monday’s proceedings, defence counsel Olalekan Ojo informed the court of a fresh development.
According to him, the Court of Appeal had delivered a judgment on January 30, 2026 granting bail to the defendant and directing that the case be transferred to another court to start afresh.
He told the court that a Certified True Copy of the judgment had been submitted and attached to a motion filed on March 5, 2026.
Ojo argued that the current court no longer had jurisdiction over the matter and urged that the case file be returned to the Chief Judge of Lagos State for reassignment.
However, prosecuting counsel S.K. Atteh said the application was served late and insisted the Court of Appeal ruling did not expressly order that the trial be moved to another judge.
He added that the defence had already filed another motion at the appellate court seeking clarification of the judgment on whether the case should start afresh before another judge.
After hearing both sides, Justice Dada struck out the defence motion and adjourned the case indefinitely.
Meanwhile, Ajudua’s lawyer has also approached the Supreme Court with a fresh motion filed on February 24, 2026, seeking to set aside its earlier judgment delivered on May 9, 2025.
The decades-long case is one of Nigeria’s most protracted fraud trials, having moved between several courts and judges since it began more than 20 years ago.
