Court adjourns trial of former governor, Suswam to July 16

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 has adjourned the trial of the former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, until July 16, 2026, for the adoption of final written addresses as the 11-year-old case enters its final stage.

Suswam, alongside his former Commissioner of Finance, Omadachi Okolobia, is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an amended 11-count charge bordering on theft, criminal breach of trust, the illegal award of contracts, and money laundering to the tune of ₦3.1 billion.

The funds were allegedly proceeds from the sale of the state government’s shares in the Benue Cement Company. The defendants allegedly committed the fraud using Elixir Securities Ltd and Elixir Investment Partners Limited.

While the EFCC called nine witnesses who testified against the defendants, Suswam turned out to be the sole witness for his defense team.

The defendants were first arraigned in November 2015 before Justice Ahmed Mohammed, who was then of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja.

The matter was later transferred to Justice Okon Abang, also of the Abuja Federal High Court, before his elevation to the Court of Appeal. The case was subsequently returned to Justice Mohammed following a ruling by the Court of Appeal.

The prosecution was on the verge of closing its case in December 2023 under Justice Mohammed when the judge was elevated to the Court of Appeal, causing the matter to be reassigned to Justice Lifu for a fresh start.

The defendants’ re-arraignment before Justice Lifu marked another fresh start for the long-running trial.
Although both defendants opted for a no-case submission after the testimonies of the nine prosecution witnesses, Justice Lifu dismissed the application on Wednesday, July 23, 2025.

The judge ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case warranting Suswam and his co-defendant to defend themselves against the charges.

The defendants subsequently commenced their defense on October 10, 2025.