The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC
on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 presented the Ninth and last
Prosecution Witness, PW9, Ape Sunday against the former governor of
Benue State, Gabriel Suswan.
The Commission is prosecuting Suswan alongside
his then Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia on amended 11-count
charge, bordering on diversion of public funds to the tune of N3.1
billion (Three Billion, One Hundred Million) being part
of the proceeds from the sale of the state
government’s shares, held on its behalf by Benue Investment and
Property Company Limited.
During Wednesday proceedings,
prosecuting counsel, A.O Atolagbe informed the court that the
prosecution was presenting its ninth and the last of
its witnesses, implying that it was closing its case with the testimony of
the witness.
The closing of its case with PW9 followed the
inability of the 10th Prosecution Witness, PW10, Mrs Shiedu Awade to
testify in court due to ill health.
The Ninth Prosecution Witness, PW9, an investigator
with the EFCC, while being led in evidence informed the court that
PW10, a former cashier and executive officer of Benue Investment and
property Ltd has been on admission in National Hospital, Abuja and that it
was impossible for her to show up in court to testify due to the serious nature
of her illness.
In response to prosecution’s final presentation of
witnesses, counsels to the first and second defendants C.E Ugbozor and
Paul Erokoro, SAN, respectively informed the court that they will be
filing “a no case submission” and requested that the judge
grants them 14 days period to so, while prosecution counsel on his
part requested the court to grant him 21days to enable him file his
response to the defence’s “no case submission.”
Justice Lifu adjourned the matter till June 24, 2025
for the adoption of the defence “no case submission.”
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