EFCC arraigns man over alleged ₦56.4m hajj fraud in Ibadan
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged Lawal Babale Musa in the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan with forgery, document alteration, and theft related to ₦56.4 million intended for the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage.
Musa was arraigned on Thursday, August 13, 2026, before Justice Olusola Adetujoye, following an investigation conducted by the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC. He faces a total of 57 counts involving the alleged misappropriation of ₦56,491,000 belonging to Ibrahim Shuaibu and others, intended to facilitate the Hajj pilgrimage through the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency.
The EFCC claims the alleged offenses took place in Ibadan between November 2, 2022, and July 22, 2024. The first charge states that Musa converted the funds allocated for the Hajj pilgrimage of several individuals, including Jibril Adamu and Suleiman Aminatu, for his personal use.
The indictment details, “That you, Lawal Babale Musa, on or between November 2, 2022, and July 22, 2024, at Ibadan, converted to your personal use the total sum of ₦56,491,000 from Ibrahim Shuaibu, which was meant for Hajj pilgrimage through the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency.”
One count specifically accuses Musa of forging a receipt from the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, numbered 0013041, in the name of Jibril Adamu. Another count alleges the alteration of a different receipt, numbered 012654, also related to Jibril Adamu, on February 2, 2024.
Musa pleaded not guilty to the charges. In response to his plea, EFCC prosecutor Bashir Shamsuddeen requested a trial date and for Musa to be remanded in a correctional facility. Musa’s defense attorney, Kehinde Adegbola, informed the court that he had submitted a motion for bail on favorable terms.
Justice Adetujoye adjourned the proceedings until August 17, 2026, to address the bail application, and ordered Musa to be held at the Agodi Correctional Centre.
The case reportedly stems from an arrangement in which Musa approached Ibrahim Shuaibu, claiming to work for the Kaduna State government and offering to facilitate Hajj travel. Shuaibu then informed others interested in the pilgrimage, including individuals engaged in cattle breeding in the Oke-Ogun area of Ibadan, who collectively contributed the ₦56.4 million.
However, the EFCC alleges that none of the contributors were able to attend the Hajj pilgrimage in 2023, as Musa failed to deliver on his promises. The case will continue with the upcoming hearing regarding the bail application.
