The 11-year-long corruption trial of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam suffered another delay on Friday as the trial court in Abuja adjourned the scheduled final addresses. The case, which began in 2015, had already lasted 11 years, with evidence concluded in November last year. The trial court adjourned the case after prosecution counsel Oluwaleke Atolagbe told the court that Mr Suswam's lead defence lawyer, Joseph Daudu, had sent his team a letter stating that he would be absent from Friday's proceedings to travel to Denmark for the International Bar Association (IBA) annual conference.
Mr Atolagbe described the request as a "deliberate ploy to frustrate the prosecution." He noted that Mr Suswam had made similar requests in the past, recalling that previous proceedings of 16 July stalled because "Mr Suswam was not present and cited illness." The prosecution lawyer argued that the case should not wait for a particular lawyer, citing a Supreme Court case. Despite his concerns, Mr Atolagbe said the prosecution would consent to the adjournment.
Second defendant Omodachi Okolobia's lawyer, Paul Erokoro, also SAN, did not oppose the request. However, he noted that the defence did complain when the prosecution sought several adjournments and used years to call witnesses. This sparked off a back-and-forth between the two lawyers, forcing the judge, Peter Lifu, to intervene. Mr Lifu said there was no need for further arguments because none of the parties opposed the request for adjournment.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) first arraigned Mr Suswam and his then-Commissioner for Finance, Mr Okolobia, in November 2015 on 11 charges of conspiracy and money laundering, including criminal breach of trust. The charges accused them of diverting N3.1 billion from the proceeds of the sale of Benue State Government shares managed through the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited.
The prosecution closed its case after calling nine witnesses and tendering documentary evidence before Judge Ahmed Mohammed. 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. Mr Okolobia neither testified nor called any witness for his defence. The defendants closed their defence on 24 November 2025 after Mr Suswam testified. 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.
The case has faced repeated delays over the years, moving between three judges, including the original trial judge, Ahmed Mohammed, who initially withdrew from the matter, citing a Sahara Reporters publication accusing him of bias. Mr Suswam served as the member of the House of Representatives before becoming governor in 2007. He was governor between 2007 and 2015 and won the senatorial election to represent the Benue North-East Senate in the Nigerian Senate for one term, between 2019 and 2023.
Key points
- The trial has been delayed for 11 years due to repeated adjournments.
- The prosecution has expressed concerns over the incessant adjournments, describing them as a "deliberate ploy to frustrate the prosecution."
- The case has been reassigned to different judges, including Judge Peter Lifu, who adjourned the case until 6 November.
