Alleged N3.1bn fraud: Ex-Governor Gabriel Suswam seeks no-case ruling as EFCC concludes case again 

The defence team made the oral application before Justice Peter Lifu after counsel for the EFCC, O.A. Atolagbe, informed the court that the Commission had closed its case against the ex-governor and another defendant.

The EFCC had in 2023 concluded its case against Suswam before Justice Ahmed Mohammed.

But following the matter commenced afresh before Justice Peter Lifu.

Naijaonpoint previously reported in 2015 that the EFCC had arrested Suswam over corruption allegations during his administration.

Suswam, alongside his then Commissioner for Finance, Omodachi Okolobia, is facing an 11-count amended charge of N3.1 billion money laundering.

The EFCC alleged, among other things, that the funds formed part of the proceeds from the sale of the state government’s shares, held on its behalf by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited, and sold through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited.

The ex-governor and his co-defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges, paving the way for trial.

During the trial, the EFCC fielded several witnesses, including a bureau de change operator, Abubakar Umar, who testified that in 2014 he converted the sum of N3.1 billion, allegedly wired to him by Suswam as governor, and delivered its equivalent of $15.8 million in cash to Suswam at his Maitama, Abuja residence.

“In light of this, the first defendant believes that the right step to take now is to make a no-case submission. 

“We therefore are asking the court for 14 days, if it is convenient, to make our submission,” a defence counsel said, with Erokoro making the same line of submission for Okolobia. 

Naijaonpoint reports that Gabriel Suswam was the Benue State governor from May 2007 to May 2015 and has been embroiled in allegations of public fund looting.

Before the matter against Suswam was assigned to Justice Lifu, the case had been handled by different judges, namely Justice A.R. Mohammed and later Justice Okon Abang, following their respective elevations to the Court of Appeal.