Society Gists

Lagos socialite Fred Ajudua was re-arraigned at an Ikeja High Court on Tuesday for allegedly defrauding a former Chief of Army Staff, retired Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi of $10.3 million.

Ajudua plead not guilty to a 28-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence.

The charges were brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ajudua was arraigned after Justice Josephine Oyefeso had in a ruling dismissed his application dated Jan. 6, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to try him.

“The fact that the defendant’s statement is not in the proof of evidence is not relevant to the issue of the jurisdiction of this court.

“The EFCC can prosecute any financial crime in any court in Nigeria in accordance with Section 211 (1)(b) of the constitution.

“The statement that the defendant has no case is premature and I, therefore, order that the defendant answers to his charges and be arraigned,” Oyefeso ruled.

The lead Prosecutor to the EFCC, Mr S.A. Atteh, said that Ajudua committed the alleged conspiracy and fraud from Nov. 20, 2004 to Dec.18, 2005 alongside five accomplices.

The accomplices were named as Oluronke Rosulu, Alumile Adedeji also known as Ade Bendel, one Kenneth, one Jonathan and Hamabon William.

Ajudua and Rosulu were initially arraigned in 2014 by the EFCC before Justice Kudirat Jose on charges relating to the fraud.

Rosulu, a high court Registrar, who allegedly assisted Ajudua to funnel the funds from the Kirikiri Prisons, however, opted for a separate trial before a different judge.

She was tried and sentenced to 10 years in prison for fraud on December 21, 2015 by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, while the hearing of Ajudua’s case was transferred to Oyefeso’s court, where he was re-arraigned on the charges during Tuesday’s proceedings.