Delay in Suswam's Corruption Trial Continues as Prosecution Voices Concerns

The corruption trial of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam, which has been going on for 11 years, faced another delay on Friday. The trial court in Abuja postponed the final addresses that were scheduled for that day.

Final addresses are usually the last step before the judge gives a ruling. The case was postponed after prosecution lawyer Oluwaleke Atolagbe informed the court that Mr Suswam's main defence lawyer, Joseph Daudu, had sent a letter saying he would not be in court. He is traveling to Denmark for the International Bar Association (IBA) annual conference.

Mr Atolagbe called this request a “deliberate ploy to frustrate the prosecution.” He pointed out that the trial has been ongoing since 2015, noting that evidence was completed in November last year.

Mr Atolagbe also reminded the court that Mr Suswam had made similar requests before. He recalled that a hearing on 16 July could not go ahead because “Mr Suswam was not present and cited illness.” He said, “My Lord, in this case, the letter is saying that J.B. Daudu wants to conduct the proceedings. But C. Ogbozor has been conducting the defence, and the record of this court is very clear.”

He further added that the letter mentioned several lawyers, including a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who could take Mr Daudu's place while he is away. Mr Atolagbe referred to a Supreme Court case which stated that a trial should not wait for one particular lawyer. He argued that the lawyer they were waiting for was not even the one handling the case.

Despite his worries, Mr Atolagbe said the prosecution would agree to the adjournment. “It will be difficult for us to ask the court to proceed because we don’t want any party to raise any issue of fair hearing, but this is really sad,” he said. He then suggested the case be adjourned until 23 October, as proposed by Mr Daudu.

The second defendant, Omodachi Okolobia's lawyer, Paul Erokoro, also a SAN, did not oppose the request for adjournment. But he pointed out that the defence had complained when the prosecution had asked for several adjournments and took years to call witnesses.

Mr Atolagbe interrupted, saying Mr Erokoro had no right to speak on the matter since he did not write the letter for adjournment. This led to a back-and-forth between the two lawyers, which prompted the judge, Peter Lifu, to step in.

Judge Lifu said there was no need for more arguments because all parties agreed to the adjournment. He noted that adjournments should be based on what is convenient for the court. He then adjourned the case until 6 November, a date all lawyers accepted.

Background of the Case

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) first charged Mr Suswam and his then-Finance Commissioner, Mr Okolobia, in November 2015. They face 11 charges, including conspiracy and money laundering, which involve misappropriating N3.1 billion from the sale of Benue State Government shares managed by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited.

The EFCC claims the money went through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited between August and October 2014. Both men have denied the charges.

The case has faced many delays over the years. It has moved between three judges. The first judge, Ahmed Mohammed, withdrew after a publication accused him of bias. The case returned to him after a Court of Appeal order. After Judge Mohammed was promoted to the Court of Appeal in 2023, the case was given to Judge Lifu, who re-arraigned the defendants in March 2024.

The prosecution closed its case after calling nine witnesses and presenting documents. The defendants then argued that the prosecution did not prove its case. But in July 2025, Judge Lifu dismissed their request, saying there was enough evidence for the defendants to defend themselves.

Mr Suswam later testified as the only defence witness, while Mr Okolobia did not testify or call any witness. The defence finished on 24 November 2025 after Mr Suswam testified.

Judge Lifu set 20 January for the final written addresses and told both sides to exchange their arguments on time. But the case did not move forward as planned. It was postponed several times before being set for 29 May.

The case was again pushed back, and on 1 July, it was adjourned to 16 July. On that date, it was scheduled for today (Friday) but stalled again because Mr Daudu was not in court.

Mr Suswam was a member of the House of Representatives for Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo before becoming governor in 2007. He served as governor from 2007 to 2015, during which he allegedly committed the offences he is being prosecuted for now.

After finishing his second term as governor in 2015, he lost the Senate election for Benue North-East. But while facing trial for 11 years, the 61-year-old Mr Suswam won a Senate seat for Benue North-East from 2019 to 2023.

In March 2024, Mr Suswam announced his intention to run for the chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party he has used to win all his elections. His bid to lead the PDP was not successful.