On the morning of December 7 2025, the atmosphere inside parts of Osun State was deceptively calm. Shrines that had existed quietly within residential clusters continued their routines, while Lagos moved at its usual hurried pace. Yet behind the stillness, an intelligence operation was reaching its final stage.
Officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had spent weeks tracing movements that did not fit conventional financial crime patterns. There were no online transfers, no email trails, no cryptocurrency wallets lighting up dashboards. Instead, there were whispers, rituals, and physical bundles of foreign notes that were never meant to circulate.
By December 8 2025, the silence broke. EFCC operatives, acting through the Ibadan Zonal Directorate, moved into multiple locations across Lagos and Osun. What they found reframed a growing category of financial crime in Nigeria. Inside shrines and private rooms were foreign currencies amounting to millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of euros. The notes were fake, yet the belief systems around them were powerful enough to extract real money from victims.
This case did not begin with a raid. It began earlier in 2025 with a complaint that sounded almost implausible. A woman named Halima Sanni reported that she had been defrauded of 26,550,000 naira, the promise made to her was not an investment opportunity or a loan scheme. It was spiritual transformation tied to wealth generation. That single complaint later anchored one of the most unusual EFCC investigations of the year.
What followed was not merely an arrest story, but a deeper exposure of how ritual narratives are being fused with counterfeit currency crimes. By the time EFCC officers concluded their December operation, five suspects were in custody, and Nigeria was confronted again with how belief, desperation, and fraud can intersect outside digital space.
The Intelligence Trail That Changed Direction
The EFCC investigation that culminated in December 2025 did not follow the usual fraud template. There were no immediate bank records or digital footprints. Instead, intelligence officers were dealing with testimonies, rituals, movements, and physical cash claims. Surveillance teams had to recalibrate how they defined evidence and how they monitored suspects who operated outside mainstream financial systems.
According to EFCC sources, the Ibadan Zonal Directorate began quiet monitoring after receiving corroborated intelligence reports beyond the initial complaint. The reports suggested the existence of a syndicate operating across state lines, presenting themselves as herbalists and spiritual consultants. These individuals allegedly promised wealth multiplication through spiritual cleansing processes that involved foreign currencies.
Between October and November 2025, EFCC operatives reportedly tracked meeting points, communication patterns, and the movement of clients. Rather than internet messaging apps, the suspects relied heavily on direct contact, mobile calls, and referrals built on trust networks. This slowed the pace of investigation, but also revealed how offline fraud ecosystems can thrive beneath regulatory radar.
By early December 2025, EFCC leadership approved coordinated arrests across Lagos and Osun. The goal was to prevent evidence displacement and confirm whether the fake currencies existed physically. What officers encountered exceeded expectations and confirmed that ritual based fraud had evolved into organised counterfeit possession.
December 7 and 8 The Arrests Unfold
On December 7 2025, EFCC operatives entered the first set of locations in Osun State. These were not commercial offices, but shrines embedded within residential environments. Inside the spaces, investigators found foreign notes arranged in ritualistic fashion, alongside traditional materials. Initial forensic checks indicated that the currencies were counterfeit.
The following day, December 8 2025, parallel arrests were carried out in Lagos. The suspects were taken into custody without resistance. Searches conducted at the locations uncovered additional caches of foreign currency, bringing the total to $3,430,000 United States dollars and €280,000 euros. All were suspected to be fake.
Alongside the currencies, EFCC officers seized mobile phones believed to contain communication records relevant to the alleged fraud. Two exotic vehicles were also recovered, raising questions about proceeds of crime and lifestyle funding. Each item was documented and transferred into evidence custody under standard EFCC protocol.
By the end of December 8, five individuals were in EFCC detention. The arrests confirmed that the syndicate operated across state boundaries and relied on physical concealment rather than digital anonymity. For investigators, this marked a significant example of how fraud adapts when public awareness of online scams increases.
Who the Suspects Are and Why Identity Matters
The EFCC formally identified the suspects as Akingbola Omotayo, Adeola Funsho Ogunrinde, Yahaya Amodu, Kubratu Babalola Olaitan, and Familola Sunday Olaitan. One of the suspects, Kubratu Babalola Olaitan, is female. All were described as self styled herbalists or spiritualists by investigators.
Identity disclosure in this case served two purposes. First, it established accountability and discouraged speculation. Second, it signaled EFCC intent to treat the case as organised crime rather than isolated superstition. Each suspect is believed to have played a role within the operational structure, whether in recruitment, ritual performance, or financial handling.
Investigators believe the syndicate functioned on division of trust. Some members reportedly handled spiritual narratives, while others coordinated logistics and money collection. This compartmentalisation made detection harder and prolonged the period before law enforcement intervention.
By naming the suspects, EFCC also aimed to encourage additional victims to come forward. Historically, ritual based fraud victims often remain silent due to shame, fear, or belief that reporting could worsen their situation. Public identification was therefore both procedural and strategic.
The Alleged Modus Operandi: Inside the Shrines
At the heart of the allegations is a method that blends belief psychology with counterfeit currency theatrics. Victims were allegedly told that large sums of foreign currency had been spiritually produced, but required cleansing before use. The cleansing process was said to involve sacrifices and ritual payments.
According to EFCC statements, victims were persuaded that touching or spending the notes before spiritual clearance could result in misfortune. This fear based mechanism reportedly kept victims compliant and willing to pay repeated fees. In the case of Halima Sanni, the payments allegedly totaled over 26 million naira.
The counterfeit currencies played a symbolic role. Though unusable, they served as visual proof reinforcing the illusion of impending wealth. This approach mirrors classic confidence tricks, but replaces financial jargon with spiritual authority.
EFCC investigators believe hypnosis, suggestion, and social pressure were used to sustain belief. By the time victims realised inconsistencies, the financial damage had already occurred. This structure explains why such schemes persist despite widespread awareness campaigns.
Fake Currency As a Tool Not the Endgame
One of the key findings of the EFCC operation is that the counterfeit currencies were not primarily intended for circulation. Instead, they functioned as props within a broader fraud narrative. This distinction shifts how such cases are interpreted under financial crime frameworks.
While possession of counterfeit currency remains a serious offence, the investigation suggests that the primary profit was extracted directly from victims rather than through spending the fake notes. This hybrid crime model sits between ritual fraud and currency counterfeiting.
The quantities involved, however, elevate the case. Three million four hundred and thirty thousand dollars and two hundred and eighty thousand euros represent significant volumes that could undermine financial confidence if circulated. This factor strengthens the seriousness of the charges EFCC is expected to pursue.
By documenting the role of fake currency as psychological leverage, EFCC is expanding how fraud typologies are defined. It demonstrates that counterfeit notes can be weaponised even when never intended to enter banks or markets.
Lagos and Osun As Interlinked Fraud Zones
The geographical spread of the case reveals important patterns. Lagos serves as Nigeria’s financial nerve centre, while Osun offers quieter environments where ritual based practices draw less scrutiny. The syndicate reportedly exploited this contrast.
Movement between the two states allowed suspects to manage client flow, evidence storage, and operational secrecy. EFCC surveillance indicated that certain rituals were conducted in Osun, while Lagos handled introductions and logistics.
This inter state linkage reinforces the importance of coordinated enforcement. Fraud no longer respects administrative boundaries, especially when belief systems allow operations to remain informal and mobile.
The December 2025 arrests underscore why EFCC increasingly treats regional cases as networked threats rather than isolated incidents.
Evidence Handling and Forensic Processes
Following the arrests, EFCC initiated forensic examination of the seized currencies. Counterfeit verification involves assessing paper quality, printing technique, serial alignment, and security features. Preliminary findings confirmed the notes were fake.
Mobile phones recovered are undergoing digital extraction to map communication networks. Even without sophisticated encryption, call logs and message patterns can reveal coordination structures.
Vehicles seized are being assessed for ownership records and acquisition timelines. This helps determine whether they were purchased with proceeds of crime or used operationally.
Evidence handling in this case reflects EFCC’s adaptation to non digital fraud. Physical artefacts, ritual spaces, and narrative materials now form part of investigative documentation.
Legal Pathway After December 2025
As of mid December 2025, EFCC confirmed that the suspects remain in custody while investigations continue. Charging decisions will follow completion of evidence collation and legal review.
Possible charges include conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence, and possession of counterfeit currency. Each carries serious penalties under Nigerian law.
Prosecutors are expected to rely heavily on victim testimony, physical evidence, and expert verification of the fake currencies. Establishing intent will be central to the case.
The outcome will likely shape future enforcement against ritual based fraud networks operating outside digital space.
The Broader Rise of Ritual Based Financial Fraud
This case is not isolated. EFCC records indicate an increase in reports involving spiritual wealth claims, particularly during periods of economic strain. When conventional pathways feel blocked, belief based alternatives gain traction.
Fraudsters adapt narratives to cultural contexts, offering hope disguised as tradition. The Lagos and Osun case illustrates how modern crime borrows ancient symbols.
EFCC’s December 2025 operation signals recognition of this trend. By treating ritual fraud with the same seriousness as cybercrime, the agency is recalibrating its enforcement priorities.
Public education will remain critical. Awareness must extend beyond internet scams to include belief exploitation.
Conclusion: What December 2025 Reveals
The arrest of five herbalists with fake foreign currencies in Lagos and Osun in December 2025 marks more than a successful sting. It exposes how fraud evolves when technology is no longer the primary vehicle.
This case shows that belief can be monetised just as efficiently as code. That fake money can extract real wealth without ever entering circulation. And that enforcement must remain flexible to confront unconventional threats.
As the suspects await prosecution, the larger lesson stands. Financial crime is not only about systems, but about stories people are willing to believe. EFCC’s challenge in the coming years will be to dismantle both.
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