Lawal Musa faces 57 counts after allegedly collecting pilgrimage funds from 10 cattle breeders and failing to secure their 2023 Hajj slots

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned Lawal Babale Musa before the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan over an alleged N56.491 million Hajj fraud involving 10 prospective pilgrims who reportedly paid for the 2023 pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

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Musa was arraigned on Thursday before Justice Olusola Adetujoye by the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC on a 57-count charge bordering on alleged stealing by conversion, forgery and uttering of documents.

According to the commission, the case began when Musa allegedly approached Ibrahim Shuaibu, claiming to work for the Kaduna State Government and offering to facilitate Hajj arrangements through the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency.

Shuaibu subsequently informed 10 acquaintances involved in cattle breeding and rearing in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State about the opportunity.

The EFCC identified the alleged victims as Jibril Adamu, Suleiman Aminatu, Musa Haruna, Suleiman N. Abdullahi, Audu Bello, Yusuf Umaru, Saidu Musa, Idris Suleiman, Musa Yunusa and Usman Haruna.

The commission alleged that the group collectively paid N56,491,000 to Shuaibu, who transferred the money to Musa for the purpose of arranging their participation in the 2023 Hajj.

However, none of the prospective pilgrims travelled to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage, according to the EFCC.

The commission alleged that Musa subsequently failed to fulfil the promise for which the money was collected, prompting the prosecution.

One of the counts alleges that Musa converted the N56.491 million intended for Hajj arrangements to his personal use between November 2, 2022 and July 22, 2024 in Ibadan.

Other counts accuse him of allegedly forging Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipts and presenting them as genuine documents.

The EFCC specifically alleged that Musa forged a receipt numbered 0013041 in the name of Jibril Adamu on November 10, 2023, while another count accused him of allegedly uttering a receipt numbered 012654 to Adamu on February 2, 2024.

The commission said the alleged offences contravened provisions of the Criminal Code Law of Oyo State relating to stealing by conversion, forgery and uttering of documents.

Musa pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Following his plea, EFCC counsel Bashir Shamsuddeen asked the court to adjourn the matter for trial and ordered that Musa be remanded in a correctional facility.

Defence counsel Kehinde Adegbola, however, told the court that a bail application had been filed and asked that Musa be granted bail 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.

The alleged N56.4m Hajj fraud highlights the risks associated with informal pilgrimage arrangements, particularly where prospective pilgrims rely on claims of official connections to secure access to religious travel programmes.