EFCC Charges Couple for Impersonating Katsina First Lady

Katsina First Lady Impersonation: EFCC Arraigns Four

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a couple, Baba Sule Abubakar Sadiq and his wife, Hafsat Kabir Lawal, along with two accomplices, Abdullahi Bala and Ladani Akindele, before Justice Amina Bello of the Kaduna State High Court. They face charges of obtaining money by false pretenses, money laundering, and theft totaling ₦197,750,000.

The defendants allegedly conspired to defraud victims by impersonating Fatima Dikko Radda, the wife of the Katsina State Governor. Investigations revealed that Hafsat contacted victims using SIM cards registered under the name “Fatima Dikko Radda” on Truecaller, offering fraudulent foreign exchange deals.

In one instance, she convinced a bureau de change operator, Aminu Usman, to transfer ₦89 million in exchange for $53,300. Another victim was defrauded of ₦108 million under a similar scheme involving a supposed exchange of $118,300.

Hafsat’s husband, Sadiq, is accused of providing the SIM cards used in the fraud. He allegedly enlisted the help of Ladani Akindele, a former bank colleague, to obtain the contact details of Unity Bank Chairman Hafiz Bashir, which were then used to gain the trust of the victims.

The defendants were initially arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) and later transferred to the EFCC for further investigation. They pleaded not guilty to the six-count charges during their arraignment on March 10, 2025.

Following their pleas, the prosecution counsel requested a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in a correctional facility. The court agreed and adjourned the matter until March 17, 2025, for the hearing of bail applications.