The motion filed by a socialite, Mr Fred Ajudua, challenging its earlier judgment in the ongoing $1.043 million fraud case involving a Palestinian businessman, Zad Abu Zalaf, has been struck out by the Supreme Court.
The motion was dismissed by the apex court on Thursday, October 30, 2025, with trial proceedings resuming on Friday, October 31, 2025, before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
In a statement issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today, it was disclosed that at the resumed hearing, Mr Ajudua’s counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN), informed the court that the defence had withdrawn its application at the Supreme Court, and it has been struck out, thereby clearing the way for the trial court to determine the pending bail application.
Mr Ajudua is facing trial for allegedly obtaining $1.043 million from Abu Zalaf under false pretences.
The case, which began in 2005 before Justice M.O. Obadina of the Lagos State High Court, suffered repeated delays due to several legal technicalities to stall proceedings.
The matter has since been reassigned multiple times, first to Justice J.E. Oyefeso and later to Justice M.A. Dada, before whom Mr Ajudua was re-arraigned on June 4, 2018.
During Friday’s proceedings, Mr Ojo continued the cross-examination of the third prosecution witness, Afanda Bashir Emmanuel, an investigator with the EFCC.
When questioned about the existence of a police investigation diary, Emmanuel told the court that he inherited the case and was not part of the initial investigation.
Justice Dada consequently directed the prosecution to produce the records at the next adjourned dates, November 20 and 21, 2025, for continuation of the cross-examination.