Court postpones final arguments in 11-year-old fraud trial of ex-Gov. Suswam till September

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday adjourned the 11-year-old N3.1 billion money laundering trial of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam until 25 September.

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Judge Peter Lifu adjourned the case despite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) request that the matter be heard on Friday.

The adjournment means the adoption of final written addresses, the last stage before judgement, will now take place after the court’s annual vacation, which begins on 27 July.

During the Thursday’s proceedings, the prosecution urged Judge Lifu not to postpone proceedings for too long, arguing that the case had already lasted 11 years, said a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale. In its 11 years, the case has moved between three judges.

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“I urge the court to give us leave to move for the adoption of the written address, and not to seek adjournment in a case that is 11 years old and your lordship is the fifth judge to come and sit on the case,” the prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), argued.

The commission arraigned Mr Suswam and his former Commissioner for Finance, Omadachi Okolobia, in November 2015 on 11 charges of conspiracy and money laundering involving criminal breach of trust.

EFCC alleged that they diverted N3.1 billion from the sale of Benue State Government shares in some companies.

Both men pleaded not guilty. Since then, the case has suffered repeated delays, with the adoption of final written addresses postponed several times.

EFCC opposes fresh adjournment

When the matter came up on Thursday for the adoption of final written addresses, the commission’s lawyer, Mr Jacobs, informed the court that he had received a letter from Mr Suswam’s lawyer, Paul Erokoro, also a SAN, stating that both he and the former governor could not attend because of ill health.

Mr Jacobs said the letter asked him to seek an adjournment on behalf of the first defendant.

He however, opposed the request and urged the court to proceed with the adoption of the final written addresses instead of granting another adjournment in the 11-year-old case.

Alternatively, he urged the court to adjourn the matter until Friday, 17 July, and allow Mr Suswam to participate virtually if he was unable to attend physically.

Mr Jacobs argued that the case should have ended more than a year earlier.

He also alleged that he saw Mr Suswam at public functions the previous week and accused the former governor of “making mockery of the justice system” and bringing it into disrepute.

Conversely, the second defendant’s lawyer, Audu Agunga, another SAN, did not oppose the application.

He insisted that the explanation contained in the letter suggested Mr Suswam “needed to rest” the issue and urged the court to exercise its discretion in the interest of justice.

In response, Mr Jacobs objected to Mr Agunga’s submissions, arguing that he had assumed the role of the first defendant’s lawyer.

He also maintained that there was no medical record before the court to justify the request and cited Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which he argued allowed the court to proceed in the defendant’s absence.

Judge Lifu, however, adjourned the matter until 25 September for the adoption of final written addresses.

The EFCC statement did not indicate why the judge Lifu declined the prosecution’s request to adjourn the matter only until Friday or to allow Mr Suswam to participate virtually.

Over a decade-long fraud trial

The N3.1 billion money laundering case against Mr Suswam has remained before the Federal High Court in Abuja for more than a decade, making it one of Nigeria’s longest-running high-profile corruption trials.

The EFCC first arraigned Messers Suswam and Okolobia, in November 2015.

The anti-graft accused the defendants of diverting N3.1 billion realised from the sale of Benue State Government shares managed through the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC).

According to the commission, the funds were channelled through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited between August and October 2014. Both defendants have consistently denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.

The case faced repeated delays over the years. It moved between three judges after the original trial judge, Ahmed Mohammed, withdrew from the matter. The case was later assigned to Judge Okon Abang before the Court of Appeal ordered that it be returned to Judge Mohammed.

Following Judge Mohammed’s elevation to the Court of Appeal in 2023, the case was reassigned to Judge Lifu, before whom the defendants were re-arraigned in March 2024.

After calling nine witnesses and tendering documentary evidence, the commission closed its case. The defendants then filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against them.

However, in July 2025, Judge Lifu dismissed the application and held that the prosecution had established sufficient evidence requiring the defendants to enter their defence.

Mr Suswam later testified as the sole defence witness before both defendants closed their case. The court subsequently fixed the matter for the adoption of final written addresses, marking the final stage before judgment.

Repeated adjournments delay final arguments

The defendants closed their defence on 24 November 2025 after Mr Suswam testified as the sole defence witness. Judge Lifu then fixed 20 January for the adoption of final written addresses and directed the prosecution and defence to exchange their written arguments within the prescribed timeline.

However, the case did not proceed to final arguments on the scheduled date. It was adjourned several times before the court eventually fixed 29 May for the adoption of final written addresses after both sides confirmed they were ready to conclude the trial.

The matter was again shifted and, on 1 July, the judge adjourned it to 16 July for the adoption of final written addresses.

READ ALSO: Court adjourns ex-Benue governor Suswams N3.1 billion fraud trial for final arguments

Mr Suswam served as the member of the House of Representatives representing Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo before becoming governor in 2007. He was governor between 2007 and 2015, during which he allegedly committed the offences for which he is being prosecuted.

He lost the election to the Senate to represent Benue North-East after completing his second term as governor in 2015.

But while standing trial in the last 11 years, 61-year-old Mr Suswam, won the senatorial election to represent the Benue North-East Sena in the Nigerian Senate for one term, between 2019 and 2023.

In March 2024, Mr Suswam declared intention to contest for the position of the chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which he has won all his previous elections. His bid to lead the PDP was unsuccessful.