Again, the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja has adjourned the trial of former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, after his legal team failed to begin his defence in the N3.1 billion fraud case.
Suswam and his ex-Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on 11 amended charges over alleged diversion of funds from the sale of Benue State shares managed by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited.
Justice Peter Lifu had dismissed Suswam’s no-case submission in July and directed him to open his defence.
But at Monday’s sitting in Abuja, the ex-governor’s lead counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, requested a three-week adjournment, citing the hospitalisation of a colleague and a pending appeal on the ruling.
EFCC lawyer, A.O. Atolagbe, objected, arguing that the defence had ample time during the court’s recess to prepare and insisting the case, already dragging for a decade, should not suffer further delay.
“We have more than two months to prepare for the defence. In fact, this case has been up for 10 years and they have more than 10 years to prepare for defence. We cannot wait for the Court of Appeal and ask that the trial court to wait. Except in a case where the Court of Appeal gives a date and gives a ruling, that is when this court can be bound by this.
“But this court cannot stall proceedings because of that application. We ask that the trial court discountenance this. My lord, it is unfair for them to ask for three weeks, the defence had more than three months during the break to prepare for their case,” Atolagbe said.
While expressing displeasure, Justice Lifu noted that the matter had lingered for 10 years, stressing that such prolonged trials undermine the justice system.
“This morning when I came, I was searching for the file of this case and I couldn’t find it. In fact, until now, I have not set my eyes on the application of the Court of Appeal you are talking about.
“I had to send my people to go to the appeal registry of the court to look for the file only to see the case file scattered and littered all over the place. It was the reason why I came here late. We cannot go on like this, this case has been on for 10 years. No matter what, a case should not go on for 10 years,” he said
He thereafter adjourned the proceedings to October 10, 2025, for Suswam to open his defence.
