For Gabriel Suswam, former Governor of Benue state, the adage - it doesn't rain, it pours - may have come painfully true. Suswam just lost his senate bid in Benue's high-wire political intrigues. Today the suave former governor, nicknamed 'The Cat' appears before Justice Lifu of Abuja Federal High Court which is expected to hear final written addresses before delivering judgment in the high-profile corruption trial that has spanned more than a decade as the former governor continues to defend himself against criminal charges brought against him by the EFCC. More than four hundred of Suswam's former political associates will not be sympathising with him. They are former political appointees of the then governor whose tenure ended May 2015. Suswam left office without paying hundreds of them furniture or severance allowances. In fact at the time he left he was owing them two months salaries which were later cleared by his successor Samuel Ortom. Eleven years after, the former aides (under the auspices of Governor's Aides Forum) are sill in court pleading that it prevail on the Benue State Government to meet its financial obligations to them. Many have died waiting while hundreds more are still suffering from the ravages of poverty and other infirmities associated with old age. Suswam has been standing trial over an 11 - count charge bordering on alleged theft, criminal breach of trust, illegal award of contracts and money laundering involving N3.1b which the EFCC insists are proceeds from the sale of the state's shares in Benue Cement Company, Gboko. The former governor is standing rial with his erstwhile Finance Commissioner Omadachi Oklobia in the case which has been running for 11 years.. The anti-graft agency alleges that the defendants diverted the money through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited and, in the course of the trial, called nine witnesses to support its case. Suswam, however, was the only witness who testified for the defence before both parties closed their respective cases. The case has witnessed several judicial reassignments since it was first instituted in November 2015. It first came before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court Abuja but was later transferred to Justice Okon Abang before his elevation to the Court of Appeal. Following Abang's elevation, the case returned to Justice Mohammed, where the prosecution was on the verge of closing its case in December 2023. Justice Mohammed’s elevation to the Court of Appeal led to another reassignment of the case, this time to Justice Lifu, resulting in a fresh trial. With the closure of the prosecution's case last December, Suswam and Okolobia filed a no-case submission, arguing that the evidence presented was insufficient to require them to open their defence. Justice Lifu, however, dismissed the application on July 23, 2025 and held that the prosecution had established a prima facie case requiring both defendants to answer the allegations. Following the ruling, the defence opened its case on October 10, 2025, with Suswam again taking the witness stand and he court adjourned the case to today after both the prosecution and defence concluded the presentation of their cases.

Posted: 4weeks ago

Author: Editor in Chief

Current date: 14 August 2026