EFCC arraigns man over ‘N56.5m hajj fraud’ in Ibadan
By Chris Steven
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Lawal Musa before the Oyo state high court in Ibadan over alleged forgery, uttering of documents and stealing involving N56.49 million paid for hajj pilgrimage.
Musa was arraigned on Thursday, August 13 by the Ibadan zonal office of the EFCC before Olusola Adetujoye, the presiding judge, on a 57-count charge.
The commission alleged that Musa converted N56,491,000 belonging to Ibrahim Shuaibu and 10 others, who had paid the money to facilitate their participation in the 2023 hajj pilgrimage through the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency.
According to the EFCC, Musa allegedly obtained the money from Shuaibu after claiming that he worked for the Kaduna state government and could facilitate the pilgrims’ participation in the 2023 hajj.
Shuaibu subsequently informed his friends, who are involved in cattle breeding and rearing in the Oke-Ogun area of Ibadan, and they collectively paid N56.49 million to him. Shuaibu then transferred the money to Musa for the hajj arrangements.
The commission alleged that none of the intended pilgrims travelled to Saudi Arabia for the 2023 hajj because Musa failed to fulfil his promise.
One of the charges alleged that Musa converted the N56.49 million to his personal use between November 2, 2022, and July 22, 2024, contrary to section 390(9) of the criminal code law of Oyo state.
The EFCC also accused him of forging a Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipt bearing number 0013041 in the name of Jibril Adamu, allegedly with the intention that it be accepted as genuine.
In another count, the commission alleged that Musa uttered a Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipt numbered 012654 to Adamu, knowing it to be forged.
Musa pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following his plea, EFCC counsel, Bashir Shamsuddeen, asked the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility and grant the prosecution a date for trial.
Defence counsel, Kehinde Adegbola, told the court that he had filed a bail application seeking Musa’s release on liberal terms.
The judge adjourned the case until August 17, 2026, for hearing of the bail application and ordered that Musa be remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre.