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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a man, Lawal Babale Musa, on charges of alleged forgery and theft involving N56.491 million meant for the Hajj pilgrimage.
Musa was arraigned on Thursday, August 13, 2026, before Justice Olusola Adetujoye of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan on 57 counts.
According to the EFCC, Musa allegedly collected the money from Ibrahim Shuaibu between November 2022 and July 2024 after claiming that he could facilitate the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage through the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency.
The commission alleged that Shuaibu subsequently collected money from 10 cattle breeders in Oke-Ogun, Ibadan, and transferred the combined N56,491,000 to Musa for the pilgrimage.
The EFCC said none of the intended pilgrims eventually travelled to Saudi Arabia for the 2023 Hajj.
Count one alleged that Musa “converted to your own personal use” the N56.491 million transferred to him by Shuaibu for the pilgrimage.
The charge stated that the money was intended for Jibril Adamu, Suleiman Aminatu, Musa Haruna, Suleiman N. Abdullahi, Audu Bello, Yusuf Umaru, Saidu Musa, Idris Suleiman, Musa Yunusa and Usman Haruna.
The commission also accused Musa of forging and falsifying Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipts.
One of the charges alleged that Musa forged Receipt Number 0013041 in the name of Jibril Adamu “with intent that it may be acted upon as genuine”.
Another count alleged that he uttered a Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipt, numbered 012654, to Adamu in February 2024, also with the intention that it be treated as genuine.
Musa pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
After his plea, EFCC counsel, Bashir Shamsuddeen, asked the court to set a trial date and remand the defendant to a correctional centre.
Musa’s counsel, Kehinde Adegbola, told the court that he had filed a motion seeking bail for his client 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 EFCC said Musa allegedly gained Shuaibu’s trust by claiming to work for the Kaduna State Government and being able to facilitate Hajj arrangements.
Shuaibu then informed his friends, who were cattle breeders in Oke-Ogun, about the opportunity, leading to the payment of the N56.491 million, according to the commission.
EFCC Arraigns Man for Alleged N56.4m Pilgrimage Fraud In Ibadan
The Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, August 13, 2026 arraigned one Lawal Babale Musa before Justice Olusola Adetujoye of the Oyo State High Court, sitting… pic.twitter.com/LrNpnmTi1G
— EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) August 14, 2026
