ABUJA, June 30 — The money laundering trial of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam hit a procedural snag today, pushing the next hearing to July 16. Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had scheduled today for both sides to adopt their final written addresses. But with the parties absent from court, the judge reset the matter for July 16.
Here’s what that means in plain terms: the trial is essentially in its closing stretch. Both the prosecution and the defense have finished presenting evidence, and the next step is for each side to formally argue why the law is on their side.
The judge will then decide the case. Suswam and his co-defendant, Omodachi Okolobia, who served as the state’s Commissioner for Finance, face 11 counts of money laundering. The charges involve N3.1 billion that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says came from the sale of shares owned by the Benue State Government.
The EFCC alleges that between August 8 and October 30, 2014, the two men used two companies — Elixir Securities Ltd and Elixir Investment Partners Limited — to divert N3.1 billion. The funds, prosecutors say, were proceeds from shares sold through the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited.
The defendants closed their defense after Suswam finished testifying as the sole witness for their side. Before that, the prosecution had called nine witnesses. The case took a significant turn on July 23, when Justice Lifu dismissed the defendants’ no-case submission — a legal argument that the prosecution hadn’t provided enough evidence to warrant a defense.
The judge ruled that the EFCC had established a prima facie case, meaning there was enough evidence on the surface for the trial to proceed. “Consequently, upon my conclusion, the defendants’ no-case submission is hereby refused and dismissed,” Justice Lifu ruled. “The defendants are hereby called upon to enter their various defences.” The practical upshot: July 16 is now the date to watch.
That’s when both sides will present their closing arguments, bringing the trial one step closer to a verdict.
