ABUJA — The criminal trial of a former state governor has reached its final phase, stalled only by an empty courtroom. Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had set June 30 for both sides to deliver their closing arguments. No one showed.
The judge pushed the next hearing to July 16. What that means: the evidence is in.
The lawyering is almost done. All that remains is for the prosecution and the defense to tell the judge why the law favors them. Then he decides.
Gabriel Suswam, who ran Benue State from 2007 to 2015, and his former finance commissioner, Omodachi Okolobia, face 11 counts of money laundering. The sums involved are large.
N3.1 billion, to be exact. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says the money came from shares the Benue State Government owned. The EFCC alleges that between August 8 and October 30, 2014, Suswam and Okolobia used two Lagos-based firms — Elixir Securities Ltd and Elixir Investment Partners Limited — as conduits.
The shares were sold through the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited. The proceeds, prosecutors claim, were diverted. The trial has been running for a while.
The prosecution called nine witnesses. The defense called one: Suswam himself.
He testified as the sole witness for their side. That closed their case. But the road here was not smooth.
Earlier, on July 23, the defense tried to stop the trial cold. They filed a no-case submission — a legal move that argues the prosecution failed to present enough evidence to even require a defense.
Justice Lifu rejected it. He ruled that the EFCC had established a prima facie case. That is legalese for: there is enough surface evidence to proceed.
The trial continued. Now the case is in its closing stretch. July 16 is the date set for the adoption of final written addresses.
Both sides will hand over their written arguments. They may also speak to them in court.
Then the judge will take time to study the evidence and the law. This is not a verdict date. That will come later, after the judge has reviewed everything.
But the end is visible. The charges are serious.
Money laundering under Nigerian law carries heavy penalties — years in prison and fines. For a former governor and a former commissioner, a conviction would be a landmark. The EFCC has pursued high-profile corruption cases for years, with mixed results.
Some have ended in convictions. Others have dragged on for a decade or more. This one moved at a decent clip.
The no-case submission was dismissed in July. The defense closed soon after.
Now the final arguments are stalled by a procedural hiccup — absent parties on a scheduled date. No reason was given in court for the absence. The judge simply reset the matter.
For Suswam and Okolobia, the wait continues. For the EFCC, the case inches toward a conclusion.
For the public, the core question remains: did a state governor and his finance commissioner use shell companies to steal N3.1 billion from the people of Benue? The court will answer that.
