The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Baba Sule Abubakar Sadiq, Hafsat Kabir Lawal, Abdullahi Bala, and Ladani Akindele before Justice Amina Bello of the Kaduna State High Court over an alleged N197,750,000 fraud.
The defendants, who appeared in court on Monday, March 10, 2025, are facing a six-count charge of obtaining money by false pretense, money laundering, and stealing. They allegedly impersonated the wife of the Katsina State Governor, Fatima Dikko Radda, to defraud victims.
According to the EFCC, Hafsat posed as one of the governor’s wives and deceived victims into believing she had large sums of U.S. dollars for exchange. Her husband, Sadiq, allegedly facilitated the scheme by registering phone numbers under the name “Fatima Dikko Radda” on Truecaller and securing contact information for potential victims.
One of the charges states “That you Hafsat Kabir Lawal, Babasule Abubakar Sadiq, Abdullahi Bala, Ladani Akindele Ayodele, sometime in December 2024 at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, with intent to defraud, obtained N89,000,000 from Aminu Usman, which was paid into the Taj Bank Plc account number 0009914725 belonging to Abdullahi Bala under the false pretense that you had $53,300 for exchange, an offense contrary to Section 1 (1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offenses Act, 2006, punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
The EFCC alleged that Hafsat collected N197,750,000 from a petitioner, Aminu Usman, after falsely claiming to have $118,300 for exchange. The funds were allegedly funneled through the account of Abdullahi Bala before being laundered and shared among the accused persons.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges. EFCC counsel, Bright C. Ogbonna, requested a trial date and urged the court to remand them in a correctional facility.
Defense lawyers M.S. Katu, Jazuli Mustapha, and Paul A. Okachi sought bail for their clients, arguing that they had filed the necessary applications. However, Ogbonna opposed the requests, stating they were not yet ready for hearing.
The defense then made an oral plea for bail, but Justice Bello ordered the defendants to be remanded.
