The Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Lawal Musa on charges of alleged pilgrimage fraud amounting to N56.4 million.
In a statement posted Friday on its official X account, the EFCC revealed that Musa was brought before Justice Olusola Adetujoye at the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan on Thursday.
According to the EFCC, Musa allegedly approached Ibrahim Shuaibu, claiming to be an employee of the Kaduna State Government with the capacity to facilitate the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage. Relying on this claim, Shuaibu informed several friends—Jibril Adamu, Suleiman Aminatu, Musa Haruna, Suleiman N. Abdullahi, Audu Bello, Yusuf Umaru, Saidu Musa, Idris Suleiman, Musa Yunusa, and Usman Haruna—who are all involved in cattle breeding in the Oke-Ogun area of Ibadan.
Collectively, these individuals paid N56,491,000 to Shuaibu, who then transferred the funds to Musa for the purpose of securing their Hajj pilgrimage slots. However, none of the victims were able to travel to Saudi Arabia for the 2023 Hajj, as Musa failed to fulfill his promise.
The EFCC stated that Musa faces a 57-count charge, including forgery, uttering of documents, and stealing.
One of the charges alleges that between November 2, 2022, and July 22, 2024, Musa converted the N56,491,000—intended for the Hajj pilgrimage—into personal use, constituting an offence of stealing by conversion under Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
Another count accuses Musa of forging a Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipt in the name of Jibril Adamu, while a separate count alleges that he “uttered” a forged receipt to Adamu, both offences under relevant sections of the same law.
Musa pleaded not guilty to all charges. Following his plea, the prosecution counsel, Bashir Shamsuddeen, requested a trial date and asked the court to remand the defendant. Musa’s counsel, Kehinde Adegbola, informed the court of a pending bail application.
Justice Adetujoye adjourned the matter until August 17, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered Musa’s remand at the Agodi Correctional Centre.
