EFCC arraigns man for N56.5 million Hajj fraud

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Lawal Musa for alleged N56.4 million fraud involving payments for the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage.

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Mr Musa was arraigned on Thursday before the Oyo State High court in Ibadan on 57 charges for stealing by conversion, forgery and uttering of documents.

According to a statement issued on Friday by Dele Oyewale, the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Mr Musa allegedly collected the sum of N56.5 million paid by Ibrahim Shuaibu for the Hajj pilgrimage of 10 people after claiming that he worked for the Kaduna State Government and could facilitate the pilgrims’ participation in the 2023 Hajj.

The prosecution alleged that the money was paid for Jibril Adamu, Suleiman Aminatu, Musa Haruna, Suleiman N. Abdullahi, Audu Bello, Yusuf Umaru, Saidu Musa, Idris Suleiman, Musa Yunusa and Usman Haruna.

The alleged victims, the commission said, are cattle breeders and rearers operating in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State.

The commission also accused Mr Musa of forging Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency receipts and presenting them as genuine.

One of the counts alleged that the defendant “forged a Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency Receipt Number: 0013041 in the name of Jibril Adamu with intent that it may be acted upon as genuine and thereby committed an offence of Forgery of document contrary to Section 465 and punishable under Section 467 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”

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Mr Musa pleaded not guilty to all charges read to him before Justice Olusola Adetujoye.

Following his plea, EFCC counsel, Bashir Shamsudeen, asked the court to set a date for trial and remand the defendant in a correctional facility.

Defence counsel, Kehinde Adegbola, however, told the court that he had filed a bail application seeking the release of his client on liberal terms.

Justice Adetujoye adjourned the case until 17 August for hearing of the bail application and ordered that Mr Musa be remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre, Ibadan.

READ ALSO: EFCC arrests man for allegedly impersonating operative, obtaining N3 million

How the alleged fraud happened

The EFCC said the case began when Mr Musa allegedly approached Mr Shuaibu and claimed to be an employee of the Kaduna State Government who could arrange participation in the 2023 Hajj.

Mr Shuaibu subsequently informed the 10 cattle breeders and, according to the commission, the alleged victims collectively paid about N56.5 million to him.

The money was then transferred to Mr Musa for the purpose of arranging their pilgrimage, the EFCC said.

However, the commission said that none of the 10 people travelled to Saudi Arabia for the 2023 Hajj because Mr Musa failed to fulfil his promise.