How Ajudua duped me of $8.4m inside prison, by Bamaiyi

Former Chief of Army Staff, General Ishaya Bamaiyi, yesterday narrated to an Ikeja High Court, Lagos on how a one-time Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua allegedly defrauded him of $8.4 million while both of them were incarcerated at the Kirikiri Maximum prison. Ajudua allegedly defrauded Bamaiyi during their incarceration at the Kirikiri Prison in 2004. While Bamaiyi was being detained for treason, Ajudua was for fraud. Testifying before the court, Bamaiyi said he collected the money from his friends, wife and staff members after Ajudua told him that he would help him engage services of Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), and also help influence Justice S.

Oyewole, who was handling his case. While being led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, S. A. Atteh, Bamaiyi said Ajudua also claimed he had links with the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who was the then Attorney-General of Lagos State. Bamaiyi said: “In 2004, Ajudua collected money from me and my associates six times while in 2005, he collected money from the same category of people 19 times. “I was arrested and sent to Kirikiri Prisons on November 3, 1999 and was taken to Block 2, which was said to be for VIPs.

“Ajudua was brought to the same prison on different days and was also taken to the same Block 2. That was how we met and later became friends as inmates. We thereafter discussed about my case from time to time and he told me he is a lawyer. And as a lawyer, he requested for details of my case and I obliged him. “He brought my file and studied it.

He said I really had no case there, but that it was purely ethnic and politicallymotivated. He promised to do something about it. “He told me that he would send his wife, Princess, who was also a lawyer, to go see the then Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ade Alabi, on my behalf.

“He later called me to inform me that his wife has met with the Justice Alabi and the then Attorney-General of Lagos State, now Vice-President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. “He advised that I should look for a senior lawyer who must not be a northerner. And that was when he recommended Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), who according to him had a close relationship with the president at that time. “After sometime, his wife visited again and she told me that the Lagos Chief Judge said that because of the nature of the case that it was going to be very expensive. “She also told me that the Chief Judge said that Chief Babalola said he would charge $15 million and I told her I couldn’t afford such an amount.

“Then Ajudua told me that he could contact some of his friends who would loan me the money while I refund later. I told him not to bother that I have friends who would be willing to raise me that amount. “After I made the calls to my friends, the money was brought to me in dollars and I gave it to Ajudua’s representatives. “At the initial time I felt reluctant and worried about the whole thing. But Ajudua swore before me with his only son named Bobo.

“Ajudua toldmethathehad only one son and he swore that if he ever cheated me that God should kill his son. My lord, immediately, I believed him because I cannot swear with any of my children no matter what lies ahead. “On December 4, 2004, the defendant boy came with somebody who said he was orderly of Justice Oyewole and the sum of $1.5 million was counted before it was handed to Jonathan on December 16, 2004. My ADC, Chechet, a major, brought in $1 million and gave the money to the defendant in visitor waiting room. “At about 6p.m., the defendant called me and told me that his wife was in the house of then Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ade Alabi, waiting for Chief Afe Babalola. He called his wife to confirm and at about 11p.m., the defendant called to tell me that Chief Babalola had collected the money.”

Bamaiyi also informed the court that he kept meticulous records of all the transactions in his handwritten prison diaries of 2004 and 2005. The dairies were presented to the court by Atteh, the EFCC counsel and marked as exhibits. Baimayi reading from the said that because of the nature of the case that it was going to be very expensive.

“She also told me that the Chief Judge said that Chief Babalola said he would charge $15 million and I told her I couldn’t afford such an amount. “Then Ajudua told me that he could contact some of his friends who would loan me the money while I refund later. I told him not to bother that I have friends who would be willing to raise me that amount.

“After I made the calls to my friends, the money was brought to me in dollars and I gave it to Ajudua’s representatives. “At the initial time I felt reluctant and worried about the whole thing. But Ajudua swore before me with his only son named Bobo. “Ajudua toldmethathehad only one son and he swore that if he ever cheated me that God should kill his son.

My lord, immediately, I believed him because I cannot swear with any of my children no matter what lies ahead. “On December 4, 2004, the defendant boy came with somebody who said he was orderly of Justice Oyewole and the sum of $1.5 million was counted before it was handed to Jonathan on December 16, 2004. My ADC, Chechet, a major, brought in $1 million and gave the money to the defendant in visitor waiting room. “At about 6p.m., the defendant called me and told me that his wife was in the house of then Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ade Alabi, waiting for Chief Afe Babalola. He called his wife to confirm and at about 11p.m., the defendant called to tell me that Chief Babalola had collected the money.” Bamaiyi also informed the court that he kept meticulous records of all the transactions in his handwritten prison diaries of 2004 and 2005.

The dairies were presented to the court by Atteh, the EFCC counsel and marked as exhibits. Baimayi reading from the entries in the diaries revealed that in 2004, Ajudua allegedly fraudulently received money six times from him and received money from him 19 times in 2005.

The diary entries revealed that in December 2004 Ajudua received, $20,000, $400,000, $350,000, $1 million and $600,000. In January 2005, the defendant received $200,000 and on two occasions $700,000 and $175,000. In February 2005, Ajudua received $50,000, $500,000. In May 2005, $100,000, $20,000 and $29,200 were given to Ajudua by Bamaiyi’s representatives. In June 2005, $450,000, $180,000, $450,000 was received by Ajudua. In July 2005, $1 million, $390,000, $42,000 and $177,000 was received on various occasions by Ajudua from Bamaiyi. In September 2005, $15,000 was received by Ajudua.

In November 2005, the defendant received $80,000 from Bamaiyi and on December Ajudua received $15,000 from Bamaiyi. Revealing the last time Ajudua fraudulently received money from him, he said: “The defendant came to Kirikiri Maximum Prisons and collected $20,000 from me. “He said it was the balance of the payment for professional fees, this is the last time he collected money from me.” Bamaiyi said the money were received by Ajudua after visiting hours in the prison, he also revealed to the court the various antics deployed by Ajudua to fuel the alleged scam.

“My Lord, there was a time I got worried because I was not hearing from Afe Babalola; Ajudua was on bail and he came to see me with one Barrister Richard Oma. Richard said he came from Chief Afe Babalola’s Chambers. “Unfortunately, he did not come with any official letter from Chief Afe Babalola.

“The DCP in charge of Maximum Prison DCP Ukobi said the defendant was coming to see me after visiting hours, the defendant came with one Kenneth who claimed he was a secret service officer. “Kenneth said he was sent to see me by the National Security Adviser Lt.-Gen. Aliyu Gwaso, he said that Chief Babalola and the then President Obasanjo discussed my matter and he was sent to advise me not to cause any trouble for the government. “I told him I did not have any problem in that respect as I did not commit any offence. He told me to write an undertaking and I told him I won’t, when he insisted I told. him he should draft it for me and if I’m satisfied I will sign. “He said he would draft the undertaking and bring it back to me but I never saw him again My Lord,” he said.