KEY POINTS
- EFCC arraigned Lawal Musa over alleged N56.4 million fraud linked to the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage.
- The commission alleges that 10 prospective pilgrims paid the money but none travelled to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.
- Musa pleaded not guilty and was remanded at Agodi Correctional Centre pending a bail hearing on August 17.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned a man, Lawal Babale Musa, over an alleged N56.4 million fraud involving arrangements for the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage.
Musa was brought before Justice Olusola Adetujoye of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan by the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.
The anti-graft agency accused him of collecting money from prospective pilgrims after allegedly claiming that he worked for the Kaduna State Government and could facilitate their participation in the 2023 Hajj through the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency.
According to the EFCC, Musa approached Ibrahim Shuaibu and represented himself as someone connected to the Kaduna State Government who could help arrange Hajj pilgrimage slots.
Shuaibu subsequently informed several of his friends about the opportunity.
The individuals, who were reportedly involved in cattle breeding and rearing in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State, allegedly pooled their money and paid a total of N56,491,000 to Shuaibu.
Shuaibu then transferred the funds to Musa for the purported purpose of arranging their 2023 Hajj pilgrimage.
Victims failed to travel for Hajj
The EFCC alleged that none of the prospective pilgrims eventually travelled to Saudi Arabia for the 2023 Hajj.
The anti-graft agency said Musa failed to fulfil the promise after receiving the money, leaving the prospective pilgrims unable to undertake the pilgrimage.
The alleged victims named in the case include Jibril Adamu, Suleiman Aminatu, Musa Haruna, Suleiman N. Abdullahi, Audu Bello, Yusuf Umaru, Saidu Musa, Idris Suleiman, Musa Yunusa and Usman Haruna. The total amount involved in the alleged transaction was put at N56,491,000.
The EFCC arraigned Musa on a 57-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, uttering of documents and stealing.
One of the counts accused him of converting the N56,491,000 allegedly received for the Hajj arrangements to his personal use.
The anti-graft agency said the alleged offence occurred between November 2, 2022 and July 22, 2024 in Ibadan. The charge was brought under provisions of the Criminal Code Law of Oyo State.
The commission also accused Musa of forging a receipt purportedly issued by the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency.
According to the charge, the receipt, numbered 0013041 and issued in the name of Jibril Adamu, was allegedly forged with the intention that it would be accepted as genuine. The EFCC said the alleged offence occurred on November 10, 2023, in Ibadan.
The agency further accused Musa of allegedly presenting another Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipt to one of the prospective pilgrims in February 2024, knowing that it was allegedly not genuine. Musa pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him in court.
Following his plea, EFCC counsel Bashir Shamsuddeen asked the court to set a date for trial and remand the defendant in a correctional facility.
The defence counsel, Kehinde Adegbola, however, told the court that he had filed a bail application seeking Musa’s release on liberal terms.
The allegations against Musa remain subject to determination by the court, as he has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The EFCC will be required to present evidence to establish its allegations, while the defendant will have the opportunity to challenge the prosecution’s case.
If the prosecution succeeds in proving the allegations, the court will determine the appropriate legal consequences under the relevant laws.
The case highlights the risks associated with unofficial arrangements for religious pilgrimages and the importance of verifying the identity and authority of individuals claiming to have government connections or access to official pilgrimage programmes.
