Sh*cking Delay: Suswam’s ₦3.1bn Fraud Case Lingers For 12 Years Without Progress

Suswam and his former Commissioner for Finance, Omodachi Oklobia, were first arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on November 4, 2015, on charges bordering on money laundering and alleged diversion of proceeds from the sale of Benue State Government shares in Dangote Cement Plc.

The EFCC alleged that ₦3.1 billion generated from the transaction was diverted for personal use, an accusation both defendants have consistently denied.

Following years of legal proceedings, adjournments, and judicial reassignments, the case appeared to progress on July 23, 2025, when Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed the defendants’ no-case submission. The court held that the EFCC had established a prima facie case and subsequently ordered the defendants to enter their defence.

However, nearly a year after that ruling, the defence phase has yet to commence.

Although the court initially fixed September 25, 2025, for the defendants to open their case, the proceedings did not hold. The matter was later adjourned to January 20, 2026, for the adoption of final written addresses, before being further shifted to May 29, 2026.

The May sitting could not proceed due to the court not being in session, leading to another adjournment to July 17, 2026.

The trial has experienced repeated setbacks since inception, including multiple judicial changes. Justice Ahmed Mohammed, who initially presided over the case, withdrew in 2016 over concerns regarding his perceived impartiality but later returned to the matter. He stepped aside again in 2019 following similar allegations.

The case was subsequently reassigned to Justice Okon Abang, who heard part of the prosecution’s evidence before the Court of Appeal ordered a return of the case file to Justice Mohammed after an appeal by Suswam.

Further delay occurred in 2023 when Justice Mohammed was elevated to the Court of Appeal, necessitating another reassignment of the case to Justice Lifu.

The EFCC closed its case after calling nine witnesses, including investigators, officials from the finance ministry, stockbrokers, and a bureau de change operator.

Despite the prosecution’s closure and the court’s ruling that the defendants must enter their defence, the trial has remained stalled for years, drawing attention due to its prolonged duration.

Suswam, who governed Benue State between 2007 and 2015, has remained active in politics and is reportedly preparing for another electoral bid while the case continues.

The matter is expected to come up again before Justice Lifu on July 17.