RismadarVoice Reporters
July 1, 2026
The Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has adjourned the alleged N3.1 billion fraud trial involving former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, until July 16, 2026, for the adoption of final written addresses.
Justice Peter Lifu fixed the date on Wednesday as the 11-year-old trial enters its final stage.
Suswam is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside his former Commissioner for Finance, Omadachi Okolobia, on an amended 11-count charge bordering on alleged theft, criminal breach of trust, illegal award of contracts, and money laundering.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the defendants diverted about N3.1 billion, being proceeds from the sale of Benue State Government’s shares in Benue Cement Company, through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited.
During the trial, the EFCC presented nine witnesses, while Suswam testified as the sole witness for the defence.
The case, which commenced in 2015, has been reassigned among several judges following judicial elevations before coming before Justice Lifu.
In July 2025, the court dismissed a no-case submission filed by the defendants, holding that the prosecution had established a prima facie case requiring them to open their defence.
The defendants subsequently began presenting their defence in October 2025, with the matter now set for adoption of final written addresses on July 16, 2026.
