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, before Justice Amina Bello of the Kaduna State High Court.
According to the Press release, the couple are facing charges of obtaining money by false pretenses, money laundering, and theft amounting to ₦197,750,000 (One Hundred and Ninety-Seven Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).
The couple was arraigned on six counts on March 10, 2025. Specifically, they allegedly colluded to defraud their victims using various deceptive tactics, including impersonating Fatima Dikko Radda, the wife of the Governor of Katsina State.
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The defendants were initially arrested by officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) and were later transferred to the EFCC, as their offenses were identified as financial crimes.
They both pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them. In light of their pleas, prosecution counsel Bright C. Ogbonna requested a trial date and asked for the defendants to be remanded in a correctional facility.
After considering the submissions and arguments from both parties, Justice Bello sided with the prosecution and remanded the defendants in a correctional facility. The court adjourned the matter until March 17, 2025, for a hearing on the bail applications.
