In the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, the Nigeria Police Force has apprehended and detained Fred Ajudua, a suspected serial fraudster, on charges of land fraud and forgery.
Unnamed law enforcement sources were cited by SaharaReporters in a story dated Friday, May 3, 2024, as saying that Ajudua had been taken into custody in Abuja “for three days now.”
“The lawyer is known as one of the pioneers of advance fee fraud ‘419’ who reportedly scammed several people in his own state, Delta. He’s been arrested and detained in Abuja for three days now,” the portal quoted one of the sources as saying.
Infamous as a pioneer ‘419’ fraudster, Ajudua’s most recent fraud trial was in December 2021 when a Lagos High Court ordered him to undergo a COVID-19 test at the laboratory of the Yaba Infectious Diseases Centre.
As per SaharaReporters, “Justice Josephine Oyefeso gave the order following Ajudua’s failure to appear in court for his trial three consecutive times.
“The defendant had cited the contraction of Coronavirus for his absence.
“In a ruling, Mrs Oyefeso had said that in order to verify Ajudua’s claim, he must be tested in the presence of the representatives of both prosecution and defence.
“She added that the result must be communicated to the court within 48 hours.
“Earlier, defence counsel, Akinwale Kola-Taiwo representing the law chambers of Olalekan Ojo (SAN), told the court that though Ajudua was in the court premises, he should not be mandated to enter the courtroom because he had tested positive for COVID-19.”