The Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Lawal Babale Musa before Justice Olusola Adetujoye of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan on a 57-count charge of forgery, uttering of documents and stealing to the tune of N56,491,000.
According to the EFCC, Musa, between 2 November 2022 and 22 July 2024, converted the sum to his personal use after collecting it from Ibrahim Shuaibu, who had gathered the money from 10 intending pilgrims, Jibril Adamu, Suleiman Aminatu, Musa Haruna, Suleiman N. Abdullahi, Audu Bello, Yusuf Umaru, Saidu Musa, Idris Suleiman, Musa Yunusa and Usman Haruna, for Hajj arrangements through the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency. The commission alleged that none of the victims travelled for the 2023 Hajj because Musa failed to fulfil his promise.
Specific counts accuse Musa of forging a Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipt (Number 0013041) in the name of Jibril Adamu on or about 10 November 2023, and uttering another receipt (Number 012654) to the same victim on or about 2 February 2024, with intent that they be acted upon as genuine, contrary to Sections 465, 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Law of Oyo State.
Musa pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him. Prosecution counsel Bashir Shamsuddeen sought a trial date and the remand of the defendant in a correctional centre, while defence counsel Kehinde Adegbola told the court he had filed a motion for bail on liberal terms. Justice Adetujoye adjourned the matter to 17 August 2026 for hearing of the bail application and remanded Musa at the Agodi Correctional Centre.
The EFCC said Musa’s alleged scheme began when he approached Shuaibu under the pretext that he worked for the Kaduna State Government and could facilitate the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage. Shuaibu then convinced his friends, who are cattle breeders and rearers in the Oke-Ogun area of Ibadan, to contribute the total sum, which was transferred to Musa. None of them eventually attended the Hajj due to Musa’s alleged fraudulent refusal to deliver.