The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Lawal Babale Musa before an Oyo State High Court in Ibadan over an alleged N56.49 million fraud involving funds meant for the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage.
Musa was arraigned on Thursday, August 13, 2026, by the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC before Justice Olusola Adetujoye on a 57-count charge bordering on forgery, uttering of documents and stealing.
According to the EFCC, the alleged offences involved a total of N56,491,000 paid for the facilitation of Hajj pilgrimage through the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency.
The commission alleged that Musa obtained the money from Ibrahim Shuaibu after falsely claiming that he worked for the Kaduna State Government and could facilitate participation in the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage.
The EFCC said Shuaibu subsequently mobilised 10 of his friends involved in cattle breeding and rearing in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State.
They allegedly contributed a cumulative N56.491 million, which Shuaibu transferred to Musa for the Hajj arrangements.
The commission, however, said none of the intended pilgrims eventually travelled to Saudi Arabia for the 2023 Hajj because Musa allegedly failed to fulfil his promise.
One of the counts alleged that Musa, between November 2, 2022 and July 22, 2024, converted the N56,491,000 to his personal use. The alleged offence was said to contravene Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
Another count accused him of forging a Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipt numbered 0013041 in the name of Jibril Adamu on November 10, 2023, allegedly with the intention that it would be acted upon as genuine.
He was also accused of uttering a Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipt numbered 012654 to Jibril Adamu on February 2, 2024, allegedly knowing it to be forged.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following his plea, EFCC counsel, Bashir Shamsuddeen, asked the court to remand Musa in a correctional centre and grant the prosecution a date for trial.
Defence counsel, Kehinde Adegbola, told the court that he had filed a bail application seeking the release of 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 in Ibadan.
The case was disclosed in a statement issued by Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, on Friday, August 14, 2026.
