The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Directorate, has arraigned Lawal Babale Musa before Justice Olusola Adetujoye of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan, over an alleged N56.49 million Hajj pilgrimage fraud.
Musa was brought before the court on a 57-count charge bordering on stealing by conversion, forgery and uttering of documents.
According to the EFCC, the defendant allegedly collected N56,491,000 from Ibrahim Shuaibu, who had entrusted the money to him to facilitate the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage of 10 persons through the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency.
The alleged beneficiaries were identified as Jibril Adamu, Suleiman Aminatu, Musa Haruna, Suleiman N. Abdullahi, Audu Bello, Yusuf Umaru, Saidu Musa, Idris Suleiman, Musa Yunusa and Usman Haruna.
The prosecution alleged that Musa obtained the money after representing to Shuaibu that he worked for the Kaduna State Government and could facilitate the pilgrims’ participation in the 2023 Hajj.
However, the pilgrims reportedly did not travel to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage after the defendant allegedly failed to fulfil the arrangement.
One of the charges alleged that Musa converted the N56,491,000 to his personal use between November 2, 2022 and July 22, 2024 in Ibadan.
The EFCC also accused him of forging a Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipt numbered 0013041 in the name of Jibril Adamu on November 10, 2023, allegedly intending that the document be acted upon as genuine.
In another count, the commission alleged that Musa uttered a Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipt numbered 012654 to Jibril Adamu on February 2, 2024, with the intention that it be accepted as genuine.
Musa pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following his plea, prosecution counsel, Bashir Shamsuddeen, urged the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in a correctional centre.
However, 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.
The allegations against Musa remain unproven until determined by the court.
