EFCC Arraigns Man Over Alleged N56.4m Hajj Fraud, Forgery in Oyo

EFCC Arraigns Man Over Alleged N56.4m Hajj Fraud, Forgery in Oyo

The Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Lawal Babale Musa before the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan over an alleged N56.49 million fraud involving funds meant for the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage.

Musa was arraigned on Thursday, August 13, 2026, before Justice Olusola Adetujoye on a 57-count charge bordering on stealing by conversion, forgery and uttering of documents.

According to the EFCC, the alleged offences were committed between November 2, 2022 and July 22, 2024 in Ibadan.

The Commission alleged that Musa obtained a total of N56,491,000 from Ibrahim Shuaibu after falsely claiming that he worked for the Kaduna State Government and could facilitate Hajj arrangements through the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency.

The money was reportedly contributed by 10 individuals involved in cattle breeding and rearing in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State.

They included Jibril Adamu, Suleiman Aminatu, Musa Haruna, Suleiman N. Abdullahi, Audu Bello, Yusuf Umaru, Saidu Musa, Idris Suleiman, Musa Yunusa and Usman Haruna.

According to the prosecution, the funds were transferred to Musa through Shuaibu to facilitate their participation in the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage. However, none of the intended pilgrims reportedly travelled to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage after Musa allegedly failed to fulfil the arrangement.

The EFCC further alleged that Musa forged Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipts and presented them as genuine documents to support his claims.

One of the charges alleged that Musa forged Receipt No. 0013041, issued in the name of Jibril Adamu, on or about November 10, 2023, with the intention that it would be acted upon as a genuine document.

Another count alleged that he uttered a Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipt, No. 012654, to Jibril Adamu on or about February 2, 2024, allegedly knowing it to be forged.

Musa pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Following his plea, EFCC counsel, Bashir Shamsuddeen, asked the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in a correctional facility.

Defence counsel, Kehinde Adegbola, informed the court that he had filed a bail application seeking the defendant’s release on liberal terms.

Justice Adetujoye subsequently adjourned the case until August 17, 2026, for hearing of the bail application and ordered that Musa be remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre pending the hearing.

How the Alleged Hajj Fraud Began

The EFCC said the case began when Musa allegedly approached Ibrahim Shuaibu and claimed to be an official of the Kaduna State Government who could facilitate participation in the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage.

Shuaibu subsequently informed several friends involved in cattle business in Oke-Ogun, who trusted the arrangement and collectively paid N56.491 million to him.

The money was then transferred to Musa for the alleged purpose of securing their Hajj arrangements.

However, the EFCC alleged that Musa failed to provide the promised services, leaving all the affected individuals unable to undertake the 2023 pilgrimage.

The latest arraignment marks the beginning of the court process, and the allegations against Musa remain subject to determination by the court.

EFCC Arraigns Man Over Alleged N56.4m Hajj Fraud, Forgery in Oyo