Final Arguments Set in Suswam’s N3.1bn Fraud Trial

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled January 20, 2026, for the adoption of final written addresses in the protracted alleged N3.1 billion fraud case against former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam and his then Commissioner for Finance, Omodachi Okolobia. This crucial date marks a major step toward the conclusion of the high-profile trial.

The scheduling followed the closing of the defense’s case by Suswam and his co-defendant, signaling the end of testimony and evidence presentation from both sides. Justice Lifu issued strict timelines for the remaining legal submissions.

The prosecution has been granted 14 days to file and serve their final written address, with the defense counsel then given a subsequent 14 days to file their response upon receipt of the prosecution’s documents. The court will then convene in the new year for the final adoption of these addresses.

Suswam, who governed Benue State from 2007 to 2015, along with Okolobia, faces an 11-count amended charge. The charges center on the alleged misappropriation of N3.1 billion, which the Federal Government claims originated from the sale of state government shares held through the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting the case, alleges that the funds were laundered through two specific companies: Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited, used as conduit pipes for the transactions.

The EFCC had initially closed its case after presenting testimony from nine witnesses. However, instead of immediately opening their defense, the accused filed a “no-case submission,” arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish sufficient evidence to warrant their continuation in the trial.

Justice Lifu delivered a critical ruling on July 23, dismissing the no-case submission filed by both Suswam and his co-defendant. The judge ordered the duo to proceed with opening their defense, stating that the evidence presented by the anti-graft agency did indeed establish a prima facie case requiring an explanation from the accused.

The court held that the application, which was anchored on sections 302 and 303 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, lacked merit. Suswam and Okolobia had contended that the EFCC failed to produce credible evidence to link them to the allegations of public funds diversion.

The prosecution vehemently opposed their request, insisting that the collective documentary and oral evidence adduced by their witnesses was sufficient to nail the defendants to the alleged crime.

In his ruling, Justice Lifu affirmed the prosecution’s argument, concluding, “Consequently, upon my conclusion on the above stated, the defendants’ no-case submission is hereby refused and dismissed. The defendants are hereby called upon to enter their various defences.”

The charge, initially filed in 2015, was amended and the defendants were subsequently re-arraigned on November 2, 2020. The EFCC notably alleged in the amended charge that the second defendant, Okolobia, transacted a total sum of N578 million in four tranches—a figure allegedly in excess of the cash transaction threshold permitted by Nigeria’s money laundering law.

The former Commissioner was said to have committed these specific offenses between December 2014 and January 2015. Both defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charge and were previously granted bail pending the final determination of the case, which now moves into its concluding phase with the setting of the date for final arguments.