After 11 years, Suswam’s alleged N3.1bn fraud trial reaches final stretch

The 11-year-long trial of Gabriel Suswam, former governor of Benue State, over an alleged N3.1 billion fraud has moved closer to conclusion, with the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, fixing July 16, 2026, for the adoption of final written addresses.

Peter Lifu (Justice) adjourned the case on Wednesday after proceedings, paving the way for the final legal arguments before judgment is eventually delivered.

Suswam is standing trial alongside his former commissioner for Finance, Omadachi Okolobia, on an amended 11-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The charges border on alleged theft, criminal breach of trust, illegal award of contracts, and money laundering involving N3.1 billion, said to be proceeds from the sale of the Benue State government’s shares in Benue Cement Company.

According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly carried out the transactions through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited.

The anti-graft agency called nine witnesses during the trial to support its case, while Suswam was the only witness who testified for the defence.

The case has witnessed several procedural twists and judicial reassignments since the defendants were first arraigned in November 2015 before Ahmed Mohammed, Justice of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

It was subsequently transferred to Okon Abang (justice) before his elevation to the Court of Appeal and later returned to Mohammed (justice) following a decision of the appellate court.

However, just as the prosecution was preparing to close its case in December 2023, Mohammed was elevated to the Court of Appeal, prompting the reassignment of the matter to Justice Peter Lifu (Justice) for a fresh trial.

The defendants were consequently re-arraigned before Lifu, and the trial commenced afresh.

Following the close of the prosecution’s case, both Suswam and Okolobia filed a no-case submission, arguing that the evidence presented by the EFCC was insufficient to require them to open their defence.

Lifu, however, dismissed the application on July 23, 2025, holding that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the defendants and directing them to enter their defence.

The defence case commenced on October 10, 2025.

Similarly, the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday heard how a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officer allegedly lost more than N28 million after being lured into investing in what prosecutors described as a fraudulent agricultural export scheme.

Modestus Uchenna Okafor, the witness, narrated his experience while testifying as the second prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Osabohein Alex Ologbose, Chief Executive Officer of Onome Global Market Resources Limited and Lexicon Multi-concept Media Limited; Hope Onome Oghelemu, his wife
and their companies.

The defendants are being prosecuted by the EFCC on a seven-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretences, conversion of funds, and money laundering involving an alleged N740 million.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, O.S. Ujam, Okafor told Ekerete Akpan (Justice) that he first met one Alice Ayeni at the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank), where he had gone to inquire about exporting agricultural produce and obtaining financing for the business.

According to him, Ayeni introduced herself as a manager at NEXIM Bank and presented herself as a director and partner in Onome Global Market Resources Limited.

She allegedly showed him documents indicating that the company was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), possessed a NEXIM certificate, and had obtained the EFCC’s Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) certification.

Okafor said Ayeni informed him that the company had secured a contract to export 30 bags of bitter kola to Hong Kong and offered him the opportunity to invest in two bags at N310,000 each.

He told the court that he initially paid N620,000 into an account provided by Ayeni before making additional investments.

The witness said he subsequently paid a total of N28.08 million into Ayeni’s account for the purported export of bitter kola and red kola nuts to Hong Kong, China, and Indonesia.

He added that Ayeni acknowledged receiving the payments and that he preserved evidence of the transactions, including payment confirmations and chat conversations, which he printed and stored in a flash drive.

Okafor further testified that after several weeks of failed promises regarding his investment returns, he and another investor, Ikechukwu Chikelum, confronted Ayeni.

According to him, Ayeni took them to the residence of Hope Oghelemu, where they were assured that payments would soon be made.

He said the promises remained unfulfilled for months before the defendants and Ayeni convened a meeting of investors at Living Faith Church.

At the meeting, he alleged Ologbose, Oghelemu, and Ayeni apologised for the delay and blamed foreign partner companies for the inability to pay investors, assuring them that efforts were being made to resolve the issue.

Unsatisfied with the explanations, Okafor said he and other investors independently sought to verify the claimed export transactions by petitioning the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

He told the court that the Ministry reportedly informed them that no receiving companies existed in Hong Kong and the other Asian destinations cited by the defendants, while the NPA allegedly confirmed that no shipment matching the purported export transactions had taken place.

“That was when I concluded that I had been defrauded,” he told the court, adding that he and six other investors subsequently petitioned the EFCC through their lawyer.

He maintained that neither his investment nor any promised returns had been refunded.

During cross-examination by Femi Joseph, defence counsel, the witness identified portions of documentary exhibits in which Ayeni allegedly acknowledged receiving several payments, including N7 million; N4.6 million paid into the account of Ayobola Anike Ventures Limited; and N2.38 million allegedly paid by another investor he introduced to the scheme.

Akpan adjourned the matter until September 24, 2026, for continuation of trial, according to a statement by Dele Oyewale, EFCC Spokesman.