Alleged $8.4m fraud: Ajudua got money from me 25 times — Bamaiyi

A former Chief of Army Staff, General Ishaya Bamaiyi, yesterday told a Lagos High Court that a notorious fraudster, Fred Ajudua, collected millions of dollar from him on behalf of a legal luminary Chief Afe Babalola in 25 tranches.

He informed Justice Josephine Oyefeso that the defendant collected the money during the pendency of criminal trial before a Lagos court for allegation of attempted murder of late Kudirat Abiola.

Bamaiyi said that apart from his personal money, he collected money from his friends, wife and staff to hire Babalola for his legal representation.

He said Ajudua collected the money while in Kirikiri Maximum prison, hospital bed at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and when he was discharged before going to Indian hospital for treatment.

He said in 2004, Ajudua collected money from him and his associates six times; while in 2005, he collected money from the same categories of people nineteen times.

"When on admission at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, my friends and personal staffs delivered money to him while in prison. He also collected money from my wife twice, one inside the prison and the other one outside the prison.

"Anytime money was released by me or any of my staff, I recorded them in my diary. In 2004, he collected money six times and in 2005, he collected money nineteen times.

"Anytime money was released both in the hospital and out of the hospital, he would call me on phone to confirm.