One of the most notorious fraudsters in Nigeria, Fred Ajudua, is said to currently be on admission at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital for kidney-related problem, after he was noticed to have been urinating blood.
It was learnt that Ajudua was, on August 3, 2013, rushed to LUTH from Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons, where he had been remanded by an order of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja.
Ajudua has been in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) since 2003, when he was arrested together with one Charles Hijiudu for allegedly defrauding two Dutch businessmen – Mr. Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen – of about $1.69m between July 1999 and September 2000.
The matter, which had proceeded to trial, had been stalled after he stopped attending court up till December 2005, when the court revoked the bail earlier granted him.
The trial judge, Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, in July, subsequently dismissed his fresh bail application, but ordered that he should be allowed to be treated in a hospital whenever his condition could not be taken care of with the prison’s health facilities.
It was learnt on Thursday that Ajudua was rushed to LUTH due to his worsening condition, as blood was seen to be contained in his urine.
Deputy Comptroller of Prison in charge of Kirikiri Maximum, Mr. Olumide Tinuoye, could not be reached for comment on the issue as he did not answer his telephone calls or respond to a text message sent to him through mobile phone.
LUTH’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Hope Nwawolo, as of press time, said she could not confirm Ajudua’s admission.
“You know it is not right to just disclose the admission of patients just like that. But I cannot confirm now. Maybe I will be able to do that later,” she said.
When contacted, counsel for the accused, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, told our correspondent that he was in Abuja when Ajudua was rushed to the hospital.
He said, “His (Ajidua’s) sister called me last week, telling me that his brother (Ajidua) was to be rushed to the hospital because he was urinating blood. Though, I have not seen him since then because I was in Abuja when I was told, but I will see him before the end of the week.”
Kidney failure was part of Ajudua’s grounds for seeking fresh bail, an application which was dismissed by Justice Oyewole.
The judge had said the Indian hospital, where Ajudua was granted bail application to treat himself, denied ever receiving the accused for the years he claimed to have been a patient there.
Meanwhile, Ajudua has filed a petition to the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Philips seeking the transfer of the case from Justice Oyewole, who he accused of a likely bias against him.
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