"Only the Living Can Face Trial” — Ajudua’s lawyer pleads as court denies bail over kidney disease

The Lagos High Court, sitting at the Special Offences Division in Ikeja, has denied a fresh bail application by embattled businessman Fred Ajudua, despite claims of deteriorating health.

Appearing visibly frail and flanked by medical personnel from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Ajudua was brought before Justice Mojisola Dada, as his legal team mounted a renewed push for bail on medical grounds.

His counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), told the court his client is battling chronic kidney disease and requires urgent, sustained medical care. “Only the living can face trial,” Ojo argued, urging the court to prioritize Ajudua’s survival over continued incarceration.

But the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) pushed back hard. Prosecuting counsel Seidu Atteh argued that Ajudua already has a pending case before the Supreme Court, and therefore should have directed his application for bail there, not at the trial court. “The defendant is before the apex court seeking certain reliefs,” Atteh told the judge, asking the court to dismiss the application.

Ojo, however, countered this, clarifying that Ajudua is not seeking bail at the Supreme Court. According to him, the appeal before the apex court concerns an attempt to set aside its May 9 judgment, a separate issue altogether. “There is no nexus between the two applications,” he maintained.

Despite the impassioned plea and visible signs of Ajudua’s ill health, Justice Dada refused the bail request, keeping the controversial defendant firmly in custody as his trial continues.