By The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a couple, Baba Sule Abubakar Sadiq and Hafsat Kabir Lawal, along with two others, Abdullahi Bala and Ladani Akindele, over an alleged ₦197,750,000 fraud.
The four suspects appeared before Justice Amina Bello of the Kaduna State High Court on Monday, March 10, 2025, facing six charges, including obtaining money under false pretense, money laundering, and theft.
According to prosecutors, the defendants conspired to defraud victims by impersonating the wife of the Katsina State governor, Fatima Dikko Radda. Hafsat allegedly tricked a victim, Aminu Usman, into transferring ₦89 million and another ₦108 million in a fake currency exchange deal.
Investigations revealed that Hafsat’s husband, Sadiq, facilitated the fraud by providing her with SIM cards registered under the name of the governor’s wife. He also enlisted Ladani Akindele, a former bank colleague, to help obtain contacts of high-profile individuals, including the Chairman of Unity Bank, through whom they targeted the victim.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, but the prosecution opposed their bail applications, arguing that they were premature. Justice Bello ruled in favor of the prosecution and ordered their remand in a correctional facility. The case was adjourned to March 17, 2025, for a bail hearing.
EFCC investigators revealed that the stolen funds were deposited into the account of the third defendant, Abdullahi Bala, before being laundered through various transactions. Authorities are continuing investigations to track the movement of the funds.
