Couple Caught in ₦197 Million Fraud Scheme: EFCC Charges Husband And Wife For Impersonating Katsina First Lady

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought charges against a husband and wife, Baba Sule Abubakar Sadiq and Hafsat Kabir Lawal, along with two accomplices, Abdullahi Bala and Ladani Akindele, for impersonating the wife of the Governor of Katsina State, Fatima Dikko Radda, and defrauding their victims of ₦197 million.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The suspects were arraigned before Justice Amina Bello of the Kaduna State High Court on Monday, March 10, 2025, on six counts, including obtaining money by false pretense, money laundering, and stealing.

According to the EFCC, the defendants worked together to defraud their victims by posing as the First Lady of Katsina State, Fatima Dikko Radda, among other fraudulent schemes. They were first arrested by officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) and later transferred to the EFCC, which identified the crimes as financial in nature.

One of the charges reads: “That you, Hafsat Kabir Lawal, Babasule Abubakar Sadiq, Abdullahi Bala, and Ladani Akindele Ayodele, sometime in December 2024, at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, with the intent to defraud, did obtain ₦89,000,000.00 (Eighty-Nine Million Naira) from Aminu Usman. You caused this amount to be paid into the Taj Bank Plc account number 0009914725, belonging to Abdullahi Bala, under the false pretense that you had $53,300 (Fifty-Three Thousand Three Hundred United States Dollars) to exchange for the Naira equivalent, which you knew to be false, thereby committing an offense contrary to Section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006, punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. In response, prosecution counsel Bright C. Ogbonna requested a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in a correctional facility.

The defense counsels for the 1st and 2nd defendants, M.S. Katu, SAN, for the 3rd defendant, Jazuli Mustapha, and for the 4th defendant, Paul A. Okachi, informed the court that they had filed and served their respective bail applications, and they were prepared to proceed with the case