The trial of a former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, before Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja could not continue on Friday, 2 October 2026, because his lead counsel, J. B. Daudu, SAN, was absent.
Suswam and Okolobia Okpanachi, a former Commissioner for Finance in the state, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a charge of nine counts bordering on the alleged diversion of N3.1 billion.
The matter had been fixed for the adoption of final written addresses. Prosecution counsel, O. A. Atolagbe, told the court that the prosecution was ready to proceed. He said he had, however, received a letter from counsel to the first defendant seeking an adjournment on the ground that Mr Daudu would be attending the International Bar Conference from 4 to 9 October 2026.
Mr Atolagbe asked the court to record that the application was, in the view of the prosecution, a deliberate attempt to frustrate the proceedings. He reminded the court that the charge was filed in 2015 and that the court had treated the matter expeditiously. He said evidence had been concluded since November 2025, and that this was not the first time the first defendant had sought an adjournment at the stage of adopting final addresses. He recalled that on 16 July 2026 neither the first defendant nor his counsel was in court.
He added that the record of the court showed that Mr Daudu had not conducted the proceedings in any substantial way, and that Chinelo Ogbozor had handled the defence since 2015. He warned that if the pattern continued, the entire case would be frustrated.
Mr Atolagbe said that, for the sake of fair hearing, he was constrained to object to the application so as not to place a further obstacle in the way of completing the case.
Justice Lifu adjourned the matter to 6 November 2026 for the adoption of final written addresses.
By John James
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