Vacation judge, Justice Ganiyu Safari granted Ajudua bail in the sum N50 million with two sureties on the grounds of his failing health. Ajudua and his co-defendant Charles Orie, are accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of duping Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen, two Dutch businessmen, of $1.69 million (about N270 million).
Ajudua was first arraigned in 2003, and was granted bail two years later to seek medical attention in India over his kidney-related ailment.
He absconded for several years, forcing the then trial judge, Justice Olubunmi Oyewole to revoke his bail and declare him wanted.
After seven years of running from justice, Ajudua finally surfaced two months ago to attend his trial and further sought for bail from the court.
Justice Oyewole promptly turned down his bail request and made an order remanding him in Kirikiri Prisons.
Last week, while in prison, Ajudua’s lawyer filed a fresh bail application on the ground that his client’s health condition had deteriorated.
He told the court that Ajudua was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital three weeks ago after a kidney malfunction that resulted in him passing out blood as urine.
Wemimo Ogunde, counsel to the EFCC, opposed the bail application and insisted that Ajudua did not deserve a fresh bail.
Ogunde argued that there is a huge chance that Ajudua would abscond again if granted bail “as he ran away from trial for seven years.”
In his ruling on the matter today, Justice Safari held that there is enough compelling health grounds to grant Ajudua bail.
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