A Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting at Tinubu on Lagos Island has arraigned a 59-year-old woman, Rakiyat Musa, for allegedly impersonating an officer of the Nigerian Customs Service and defrauding multiple victims of more than ₦34 million.
The defendant was brought before Magistrate B. I. Amos on Thursday, July 24, 2025, to face a four-count charge including conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, stealing, impersonation, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
According to the prosecutor, Inspector Cyriacus Osuji, Musa conspired with other individuals—still at large—to carry out the fraudulent acts between April and July 2025. He told the court that the defendant falsely presented herself as a Nigerian Customs officer, using a counterfeit identity card to deceive her victims.
Inspector Osuji stated that one of the primary victims, Mr. Damilare Sodiq, President of Power House Cooperative in Kosofe, Lagos, was duped into transferring ₦13,480,000 to the defendant under the pretext of purchasing bags of rice and groundnut oil.
The court also heard that Musa collected ₦5,350,000 from Mr. Chukwudi Joshua, ₦2,600,000 from Mr. Mathew Nworie, and ₦2,686,000 from Mr. Okereke Johnson, all under similar pretences.
“She falsely represented herself as a senior Customs official and used that lie to extort millions from unsuspecting victims. She was fully aware that her claims were fraudulent,” Osuji told the court. He further alleged that Musa stole an additional ₦10 million from the complainants.
The offences, according to the prosecutor, violate Sections 411, 314, 287, and 380(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Musa, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Following her plea, Magistrate Amos granted the defendant bail in the sum of ₦2.5 million, with two sureties in like sum. The court directed that the sureties must be residents of Lagos State, gainfully employed, and must provide evidence of tax payments to the state government. Their addresses must also be verified, the magistrate ruled. Additionally, Musa was ordered to deposit ₦500,000 as part of her bail conditions.
The case was adjourned until August 11, 2025, for further mention.