During the proceedings, prosecuting counsel A.O. Atolagbe informed the court that the prosecution was concluding its case with the testimony of PW9, marking the final witness in the case.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presented its ninth and final prosecution witness, Ape Sunday, against former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
Suswam, along with his former Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia, is facing an amended 11-count charge for the alleged diversion of public funds amounting to N3.1 billion (Three Billion, One Hundred Million Naira), which represents part of the proceeds from the sale of the state government’s shares held by Benue Investment and Property Company Limited.
During the proceedings, prosecuting counsel A.O. Atolagbe informed the court that the prosecution was concluding its case with the testimony of PW9, marking the final witness in the case.
The decision to close the case with PW9 followed the inability of the 10th prosecution witness, Mrs. Shiedu Awade, to testify due to illness.
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., had been hospitalised at the National Hospital, Abuja, making it impossible for her to appear in court.
In response to the prosecution’s conclusion, counsels for the first and second defendants, C.E. Ugbozor and Paul Erokoro, SAN, respectively, informed the court that they would be filing a “no case submission.”
They requested a 14-day period to do so, while the prosecution sought 21 days to file a response to the defence’s submission.
Justice Lifu adjourned the matter until June 24, 2025, for the adoption of the defence’s “no case submission.”
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