Our Reporter, Abuja
The trial of former Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswan, was on Monday, September 22, 2025, stalled before Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, following his inability to open his defence.
Suswan, alongside his former Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia, is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an amended 11-count charge bordering on alleged diversion of N3.1 billion. The funds, according to the EFCC, were proceeds from the sale of Benue State’s shares held by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited.
Justice Lifu had, on July 23, 2025, dismissed Suswan’s no-case submission and ordered him to enter his defence.
At Monday’s proceedings, however, Suswan’s lead counsel, J.B. Daudu (SAN), sought a three-week adjournment to enable the defence team prepare. He explained that one of his junior counsel, Chenelu Ogbozor, was on hospital admission, and that his client had filed an appeal against the court’s ruling on the no-case submission, urging the trial court to stay proceedings pending the outcome.
But prosecution counsel, A.O. Atolagbe, opposed the request, describing it as a ploy to delay the matter.
“We had more than two months during the annual recess to prepare for defence. This case has been on for 10 years. The defence has had more than enough time to get ready. Unless the Court of Appeal fixes a date and rules otherwise, this court cannot stall proceedings because of their application,” Atolagbe argued.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu lamented the slow pace of the trial, noting that the case had dragged on for more than a decade.
“This morning when I came, I was searching for the file of this case and I couldn’t find it. I had to send my people to the appeal registry of the court only to see the case file scattered and littered all over the place. We cannot continue like this. No matter what, a case should not go on for 10 years,” the judge said.
The matter was adjourned till October 10, 2025, for Suswan to open his defence.
