The final stage of the N3.1 billion money laundering trial of former Benue State Governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam, is set for September 25, 2026, as the Federal High Court, Abuja, fixed that date for the adoption of final written addresses.
The case, instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has lingered for 11 years. Suswam is standing trial alongside his former Commissioner for Finance, Omadachi Oklobia, on an amended 11-count charge bordering on the alleged laundering of N3.1 billion.
The money is said to be proceeds from the sale of Benue State Government’s shares in Dangote Cement Plc, held in trust by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited, BIPC, and sold through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited.
At the last adjourned date on July 16, 2026, Suswam, who is the first defendant, was absent from court, while Oklobia was present. The defence team sought an adjournment based on a medical report explaining Suswam’s absence, but the EFCC opposed it, stressing that the matter had been in court for over a decade.
In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu, granted the adjournment in the interest of justice.
“For today, having considered all that has transpired and the prayers of all the parties, I exercised my discretion in acceding to the request. The application appeared to be borne out of concern for the health and well-being of the defendant in the criminal trial. Manifestly, I have exercised my discretion in the interest of justice. Justice may grind slowly, but surely it will reach its destination,” Justice Lifu said.
The former governor and his co-defendant were first arraigned in November 2015 before Justice Ahmed Mohammed. The case suffered several setbacks after Justice Mohammed twice withdrew from the matter in 2016 and 2019 following media reports accusing him of bias.
The case was subsequently assigned to Justice Okon Abang, who had already taken four witnesses before the Court of Appeal ordered the file returned to Justice Mohammed. Following Justice Mohammed’s elevation to the Court of Appeal in 2023, the case was reassigned to Justice Lifu, where trial started afresh on March 21, 2024.
To prove its case, the EFCC called nine witnesses, including officials of the Benue State Ministry of Finance, EFCC operatives, a portfolio manager and a Bureau De Change operator.
The sixth prosecution witness, Abubakar Umar, a BDC operator and CEO of Fanffash Resources, told the court how he converted the N3.1 billion allegedly wired to him into $15.8 million at the rate of N197 per dollar and delivered the cash to Suswam at his Maitama residence in Abuja.
Umar testified that the funds were transferred to his Zenith Bank account in tranches by a woman acting on Suswam’s instruction, with the first tranche of N413 million hitting his account on August 8, 2014, followed by N637 million and N363 million on September 12, 2014, N630 million on October 13, 2014, and N1.068 billion on October 17, 2014.
Another witness, Mustapha Yusuf Abubakar, an EFCC investigator, tendered documents including the portfolio agreement appointing Elixir Securities as stockbroker, signed by Oklobia as Finance Commissioner. He also told the court that Oklobia admitted collecting N350 million in two tranches and handing it over to the then Chief Security Officer to the Governor.
After the prosecution closed its case, the defence filed a no-case submission, which Justice Lifu dismissed on July 23, 2025, holding that the EFCC had established a prima facie case against the defendants and ordering them to open their defence.
When he eventually opened his defence as DW1, Suswam denied any transaction with the BDC operator, insisting he did not instruct him to collect or convert money on his behalf.
“I know Abubakar Umar, but in this particular case, I had no transaction with him regarding the facts of this case. At no time did I instruct him to collect the said amount, convert it and give it back to me as alleged in the charge,” Suswam said.
The former governor, who described himself as “a lawyer by training, a politician by choice and a businessman by necessity,” urged the court to discharge and acquit him, saying he did not misappropriate or steal any money during his eight-year tenure.
Oklobia, in his defence, told the court he acted on Suswam’s directives.
With both defendants having closed their defence, Justice Lifu had fixed January 20, 2026, for adoption of final addresses, but the court did not sit due to the judge’s absence.
The case is now scheduled for September 25, 2026, a date many anti-corruption observers and Benue residents are eagerly awaiting after 11 years of delays.
