The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Lagos-based businessman and socialite, Fred Ajudua, over an alleged $1.43 million fraud. He was apprehended in Abuja on Tuesday following a Supreme Court order on Friday, 5 May 2025, which revoked his bail and ordered his remand in custody.
A source at EFCC headquarters in Abuja confirmed that Ajudua was taken into custody pending his re-arraignment. “He is currently in EFCC detention,” the source said.
The arrest adds a new chapter to a long-running legal saga between Ajudua and the EFCC. Since the 1990s, he has been linked to various high-profile advance-fee fraud cases. The Supreme Court’s decision to cancel his bail reversed a prior ruling by the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal and signals a renewed judicial push for accountability.
There are indications that Ajudua may have attempted to evade arrest, raising concerns over enforcement of judicial orders.
Ajudua’s legal troubles began in 1993 when he was accused of defrauding a German national of $1.43 million. Additional allegations include defrauding two Dutch citizens of $1.69 million between 1999 and 2000 and allegedly swindling former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi, of $8.4 million in 2004 during their time in Kirikiri Prison.
In 2016, the EFCC filed a 28-count charge against him, including conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretences. The case has faced several delays, largely due to health-related bail requests and an unsuccessful arrest attempt in 2007.
EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale declined to comment further on the arrest.
