IBADAN — 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 on a 57-count charge involving alleged forgery, document uttering, and the theft of N56,491,000.
Musa allegedly targeted cattle breeders and rearers residing in the Oke-Ogun area of Ibadan. Operating under the false pretense of being a Kaduna State Government official capable of facilitating the annual Hajj pilgrimage, the defendant entrapped a facilitator, Ibrahim Shuaibu.
Investigators revealed that between November 2, 2022, and July 22, 2024, Shuaibu received cumulative payments totaling over N56.4 million from ten intending pilgrims—Jibril Adamu, Suleiman Aminatu, Musa Haruna, Suleiman N. Abdullahi, Audu Bello, Yusuf Umaru, Saidu Musa, Idris Suleiman, Musa Yunusa, and Usman Haruna. Shuaibu subsequently transferred the entire sum to Musa to secure slots for the 2023 holy pilgrimage through the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency.
Rather than securing the promised slots, Musa allegedly pocketed the funds and manufactured fake agency receipts, including receipt numbers 0013041 and 012654, to deceive his victims. None of the ten individuals made the trip to Saudi Arabia.
During Thursday’s court proceedings, the defendant entered a plea of “not guilty” to all 57 counts.
Prosecution counsel Bashir Shamsuddeen requested a trial date and an order to remand the defendant. Meanwhile, defense counsel Kehinde Adegbola informed the court of a pending motion for bail on liberal terms.
Justice Adetujoye adjourned the matter to August 17, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application, ordering that Musa be remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre in the interim.
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