TAFA BALOGUN EXAMPLE AND THE CONSPIRACY TO COVER-UP FORGERY AND MURDER CASES AGAINST MR. FRED AJUDUA AND HIS WIFE— How Much was Hon. Justice Taiwo Obayomi Taiwo of Federal High Abuja Bribed?
Gentle men of the Press, welcome to the third round of my press briefing on how the Federal and Delta State Government agencies have conspired with the notorious financial scam kingpin and fraudster Mr. Fred Ajudua and his equally notorious wife in the trade Mrs. Pat Ajudua to subvert justice, thereby creating the enabling environment for such crimes as cyber-scams, kidnapping, hired assassinations and robbery to thrive in our society and consequently become models for political ascendency for the youth.
The focus of today’s Press briefing is majorly on Hon. Justice Taiwo Obayomi Taiwo of Federal High Court 8, Abuja. And the objective is to simply ask him to explain to the good people of Nigeria why he chose to subvert the course of justice for personal gains and at the expense of the moral integrity of the nation’s judicial image by submitting to the fraudulent dictates of Mr. Fred Ajudua—a notorious international fraudster and scammer with multiple cases of fraud in court.
Just few days ago, precisely on February 7, 2022, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Mr. Joseph Mbu was arraigned for charges of murder at a High Court of Cross River State presided over by Justice Samuel Anjoh of High Court II Calabar in Suit No: HC/40C/2021 for allegedly killing one Mr. Ayuk Etta Ngon in 2018. This is case where neither time nor status and money could not obstruct the course of justice.
On Monday March 28, 2005 the erstwhile Inspector-General of Police Mr. Mustafa Adebayo Balogun popularly known as Tafa Balogun who became IGP in March 2002 was arrested and publicly handcuffed. He was subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday 4th April, 2005 within a space of seven days for the offence of money laundering. Indeed by November of the same year, his trial was concluded and appropriate sentence handed down. This was another example of impeccable course of justice that neither knows status of office and social carriage nor the size of one’s pocket.
Why then is the case of Mr. Fred Ajudua different and a hard nut to crack before the Nigerian judicial system? This is the question we are presenting before the Hon Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja in respect of his obvious obstruction of the course of justice through his deliberate refusal to arraign Mr. Fred Ajudua, his wife and cronies before his court in a case of forgery brought before him since 8th October, 2021 which was consequent upon a Police investigation report by the office of the Inspector General of Police.
In this investigation report titled: “Police Investigation Report: – Re-Case of Conspiracy, Unlawful Possession of Firearms, Malicious Damage, Forgery, Threatening Violence and Conduct likely to cause Breach of Public Peace” with reference number CR:300/x/FHQ/ABJ/FSARS/TH/Vol.49/146 of 21st April 2017, addressed to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in-charge of Force Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja against Fred Ajudua, his wife Mrs. Pat Ajudua, Friday Nwokocha, Azikiwe Nwabuwa, Barrister Peter U. Lotobi, Joseph Ijeh, Richard Ijeh, Chief Augustine Atuche, the Commissioner of Police in-charge of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) Mr. D. V. Yakadi explicitly stated in paragraph 4 (xi) “That the deed of conveyance and the power of attorney prepared by Barrister C. J. Odogwu in favour of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ajudua were forged.”
Concluding the report with recommendation in paragraph 5, the Commissioner of Police stated:
Meanwhile from the outcome of the investigation, a prima facie case of conspiracy, forgery and malicious damage to property and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace has been established against Chief Fred Ajudua, Hon Pat Princess Ajudua, Mr. Nwabuwa Azikiwe, Friday Nwokocha, Chief Augustine Atuche; while Hon. Joseph Ijeh, Richard Ijeh should be charged for aiding and abetting and offence and Barrister Peter U. Lotobi is to be used as prosecution witness. Signed CP. D. V. Yakadi, commissioner of Police, Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Force Criminal Investigation Dept. (FCID), Area 3, Abuja.
Conspiring with high-ranking Nigeria Police officers and caked with mouth-watering bribery, Mr. Fred Ajudua had vowed never to appear for trial before any court of law in respect of the above Police Criminal Investigation Report. It took four years and seven months, precisely from 21st April, 2017 to 8th October, 2021 before the Nigeria Police under intense pressure were made to unearth the matter for formal prosecution. On 8th October, 2021, the following criminal proceedings under Charge Number: FHC/ABJ/CR/371/2021 were officially filed by the Nigeria Police before Hon. Justice Taiwo Obayomi Taiwo sitting at Federal High Court 8, Abuja for arraignment and commencement of prosecution:
“IN THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT OF NIGERIA
THE ABUJA JUDICIAL DIVISION
HOLDEN AT ABUJA
Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/371/2021
BETWEEN
COMPLAINANT— INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE
VS
DEFENDANTS:
- CHIEF FRED AJUDUA
2, HON. JOSEPH IJEH - NWABUWA AZIKIWE
- HON. PRINCESS PAT AJUDUA (AT LARGE) HIGHCOURT OF NIGERA
- AUGUSTINE ATUCHE (AT LARGE)
CHARGE
COUNT 1:
That You CHIEF FRED AJUDUA ‘M, HON JOSEPH IJEH ‘M and NWABUWA AZIKIWE M and others now at large on or About the year 2009 At Within the jurisdiction of this honorable court did Conspire amongst yourselt to commit felony to commit an offence contrary to section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous
Offences Act Cap M17 LFN 2004 and punishable under Section 1(2) of the same Act.
COUNT 2:
That You CHIEF FRED AJUDUA ‘M, HON JOSEPH IJEH ‘M and NWABUWA AZIKIWE ‘M and others now at large on or About 25 November, 2009 Within the jurisdiction of this honorable court did forge signature on a power of attorney dated 25 November 2009 and deed of conveyance in Respect of Landed
Property by the airport Ibusa Delta state knowing it to be false and with intent that it may be used or acted upon, thereby committing an offence punishable under section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 LFN 2004.”
It is not only ridiculous but laughable that since 8th October, 2021 when the charges were presented to Hon. Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo for the arraignment of the accused till date, no attempt was made by the Hon. Justice to commence proceedings as required by law, an action which leaves no one in doubt that the Hon. Justice is under Fred Ajudua’s notorious bribery infestation. It has been either the Hon. Justice has deliberately refused to sit on the appointed date of arraignment or the Prosecution claimed wrong adjournment dates as in the case of 8th February, 2022 when it was frivolously claimed that the actual date was March 8 and not February 8 as previously announced in the court.
Is this not a case of naked obstruction of justice in a court as high as a Federal High Court? Indeed Nigerians will want to learn from Hon. Justice Taiwo how long it takes to arraign a criminal charge before his court. Telling us that a criminal matter brought before his court since 8th of October, 2021 will be arraigned by 8th March 2022 is not only absurb to the course of justice but immoral in terms of his oath of office as a Judge of the Federal high Court.
Given Hon. Justice Taiwo’s questionable antecedents, it is obvious that he has been compromised through possible bribery by Mr. Fred Ajudua; otherwise there is no other reason why an Hon. Justice of a Federal High Court will deliberately refuse to initiate trial on such a matter of obvious community importance. It should be recalled that Hon. Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo was brought before the National Judicial Council (NJC) in 2020 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fraudulently granting an Ex Parte application. Even though the NJC exonerated him, it however appears that the action of the NJC has become a license for his reckless subversion of justice at the expense of the integrity of Nigerian judicial system.
Ironically this was the same Hon. Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo who on November 26, 2021 declared the Northern armed bandit groups— Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda as terrorists; yet he does not see any moral obligation in carrying out his statutory legal proceedings against Fred Ajudua—a notorious fraudster and international scammer who is linked with the murder of many innocent citizens in his Ibusa hometown in which the Nigeria Police has proved powerless to bring him to justice. Aside from those who went down unnoticed in the course of his heinous crime of Advance Fee Fraud scam, Mr. Fred Ajudua is fingered in the murder of the following people within his hometown vicinity of Ibusa:
The former Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in-charge of Ibusa Chief Superintendent Mercy Dagogo who was gunned down by Fred Ajudua’s hit-men on 29 June, 2010 at the popular Ogbeogonogo Main Market Asaba. It is instructive to note that Mrs. Dagogo was specifically posted to Ibusa to combat the deadly activities of cultists in the town. In line with her no nonsense policy she had flatly refused to come to a compromise with Fred Ajudua and his wife Mr. Pat Ajudua who are known sponsors of murderous Ibusa cultists. At one stage, it was reported that she was frontally reprimanded by Mrs. Pat Ajudua in front of her men who threatened to use her position as an Honorable Member of Delta State House of Assembly to get her transferred out of Ibusa. Evidently that transfer turned out to be her assassination.
It should be recalled that one of their hit-men named Friday Nwaokocha apprehended by men of Nigeria Police Force at Okpanam during another operation organized by Fred Ajudua against the people of Okanam, confessed to the murder of Mrs. Dagogo. However, because of the Nigeria Police culture of dog-eat-dog, Fred Ajudua used his money to cover up the Friday Nwaokocha’s confessional statement and subsequently used his financial muscles to compel the Prison officials to transfer him from Ogwashi Uku Prisons to Kwale Prisons in his bid to cover-up his role in the murder of Mrs. Dagogo. In a further attempt to construct an atmosphere of innocence in his complicity in the heinous crime, Mr. Fred Ajudua even presented the sum of two million naira to the family of the late Mrs. Mercy Dagogo, which the family flatly rejected.
The case of Mr. Emeka Onianwa from Umuehea Quarters, Ibusa is another glaring example of Fred Ajudua’s reckless license to kill in the course of his quest for fraudulent wealth and inglorious political fame. On April 11, 2015 Mr. Fred Ajudua ordered his killer-squad to abduct and hand over to him Mr. Emeka Onianwa, who was later murdered in his house under his supervision. He was later declared innocent by the most corrupt Delta State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), an action which was questioned by the Inspector General of Police as shameful and fraudulent yet powerless to take action against Fred Ajudua and his wife because of Fred Ajudua’s mouth-watering bribery.
Mr. Fred Ajudua was also responsible for the murder of one Chiazor Nwadei in his house for ritual purposes. The young man’s father Mr. Eugene Afamefuna Nwadei, a staff of Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba and a renowned photographer at Ibusa was later ridiculously compensated by Mr. Fred Ajudua with the sum of two million naira as the cost of using his first son for money rituals.
Mr. Odigwe Ezeike who was the leader of agitators against Fred Ajudua’s fraudulent appropriation of 206 plots of family land was lured into Mr. Fred Ajudua’s house for peace settlement where he was forced to drink poisoned substance in the name of wine. He subsequently died few hours later.
Mr. Tony Nwabuwa, a former President of Umuodaoukwu Family Union was likewise poisoned by Mr. Fred Ajudua for refusing to accept Fred Ajudua’s attempt to impose his criminal cronies and hit-men as officials of the family union.
Mr. Augustine Ohadike—the Treasurer of Umuodaukwu Family Union was similarly clandestinely murdered by Mr. Fred Ajudua for exposing the forgery of the deed of conveyance connected with the 206 plots of land for which Fred Ajudua and his wife are facing criminal charges before Hon. Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo at Federal High Court 8 Abuja.
Mr. Livinus Ajufo then Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Delta State Direct Labour Agency (DLA) was gruesomely assassinated at the instance of Mr. Fred Ajudua for opposing his wife’s aspiration for Delta State House of Assembly. Indeed plans were under way to bring Mr. Fred Ajudua to justice before he manipulated his way into the Ajufo family through one of his shameless elderly cronies Mr. Delly Ajufo, who together with Mr. Austin Izagbo were Fred Ajudua’s errand boys under the political scam called Onu Anioma, to subdue and bury that course of justice.
Most heinous and indelible was Fred Ajudua’s mastermind of the ritual murder of nine Ibusa elderly women in their farmlands which followed the ritual extraction of their revered wombs. This case was deeply investigation by Ibusa Traditional Council and the evidence was so glaring that the processes of arresting Mr. Fred Ajudua and his Advance Fee Fraud cronies were on top gear before he manipulated his way through the current Diokpa of Ibusa Mr. Paul Ijeh to skip the planned revelation of the culprits by donating the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand naira towards the inquiry.
This is the Fred Ajudua Hon. Justice Taiwo Taiwo of Federal High Court, Abuja is offering iniquitous protection in his Chambers for no other reason than his possible inducement with bribery. Hon. Justice Taiwo Taiwo might attempt to deny this fact of bribery but the onus is on him to prove his innocence by explaining to Nigerians his reason for fraudulently skipping the arraignment of Mr. Fred Ajudua and his wife before his court since October 8, 2021 when the charges were first registered.
Bearing in mind that the same Mr. Fred Ajudua is facing trial before an Ikeja Lagos High Court for scamming the former Nigerian Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Ishaya Bamaiyi the sum of 8.4 Million US Dollars, and another trial for scamming Mr. Ziad Abu Zalaf the sum of one million US Dollars, it becomes morally justifiable to view the action of Hon. Justice Taiwo Taiwo not only as an obstruction of justice but a connivance in the act. And for this reason I call upon the Chief Judge of Federal High Court Hon. Justice John Terhemba Tsoho to urgently wade into this reckless connivance and obstruction of justice by Hon. Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo. I equally call upon the Chief Judge of the Federation and Chairman of the National Judicial Council to initiate another round of investigations on Hon. Justice Taiwo in this matter of his connivance with a known international fraudster to obstruct the course of Justice. The Inspector-General of Police Alhaji Usman Alkali Baba and the Hon Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation are equally called upon to critically assess the roles of their officials in this obstruction of the course of Justice by Hon. Justice Taiwo Taiwo.
Mr. Fred Ajudua cannot be above the laws of Delta State and at the same time be above the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He cannot claim to be above the former Inspector-General of Police Mr. Tafa Balogun who was arrested for a case of fraud, publicly hand-cuffed and subsequently arraigned within a space of one week. Fred Ajudua cannot claim to be above the many State Governors and high profile political office holders including the former Governors of Delta, Plateau, Bayelsa and Taraba States who passed through the furnace of criminal trials.
As the former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr. Nuhu Ribadu then an Assistant Commissioner of Police rightly put it in his rationalization of the arrest and prosecution of his topmost boss Mr. Tafa Balogun:
“… the point is that whoever crosses the line will be dealt with. Whether a Constable or an IGP, it’s the same thing. The solution is not to cross the line. When you execute your mandate honestly, you become blind to the position of individuals. Justice is blind. So Tafa Balogun was my boss as the Inspector-General of Police, but he crossed the line. He did things that were wrong and was brought to our attention and the law took its course.”
The question before Hon. Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo is, has Mr. Fred Ajudua not more than crossed the line as defined by Mr. Nuhu Ribadu? Nigerians are anxiously waiting for his answer.
Signed
Dr. Nwankwo Tony Nwaezeigwe, PhD, DD
Odogwu of Ibusa Clan,
This Day 10th February, 2022
