On Wednesday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, presented its ninth and last prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam for alleged N3.1 billion fraud.
Suswam is being charged with his former Finance Commissioner, Omodachi Okolobia, on a revised 11-count accusation of misappropriation of public monies.
The allegations stem from the alleged misuse of N3.1 billion, purportedly from the sale of Benue State’s interests owned by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited.
During hearings at the Federal High Court in Abuja, EFCC attorney A.O. Atolagbe informed the court that the Commission will close its case after introducing its ninth witness (PW9), an EFCC investigator named Ape Sunday.
Atolagbe noted that the Commission was forced to end its case without presenting a tenth witness due to the illness of Mrs. Shiedu Awade, a former cashier and executive officer of Benue Investment and Property Company Limited, who was scheduled to appear as PW 10.
Mrs. Awade, according to PW9, was hospitalised at the National Hospital in Abuja and was unable to attend court owing to the severity of her sickness.
Following the prosecution’s announcement, defence counsels C.E. Ugbozor (representing Suswam) and Paul Erokoro, SAN (representing Okolobia) informed the court that they intended to file a “no-case submission,” claiming that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against their clients.
They sought 14 days to make their reply, while the EFCC requested 21 days to respond.
Justice Lifu adjourned the case to June 24, 2025, to allow for the acceptance of the parties’ written addresses on the no-case proposal.
