A witness in the trial of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam has testified before the Federal High Court in Abuja, detailing how he delivered $15.8 million in cash to the ex-governor’s residence in 2014. The witness, Abubakar Umar, said the amount was converted from ₦3.1 billion wired to him by Suswam, during his tenure as governor, in a transaction facilitated through proxies.
Umar, who testified as the sixth prosecution witness (PW6), narrated before Justice Peter Lifu that the funds were wired to his account in multiple tranches. He disclosed that after converting the naira equivalent to dollars, he delivered the sum to Suswam at his Maitama, Abuja residence. The trial involves Suswam and his former Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia, who are facing 11 counts of money laundering brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the EFCC, the ₦3.1 billion in question was part of the proceeds from the sale of Benue State government shares, held through the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited. These shares were sold via Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited, leading to the alleged fraudulent transactions.
During the court proceedings, Umar, a bureau de change operator and CEO of Fanffash Resources, said the first tranche of ₦413 million was transferred to his Zenith Bank account on August 8, 2014, followed by several other transfers totaling ₦3.1 billion. He testified that all transactions were conducted through a proxy, a woman instructed by Suswam to handle the transfers.
Recalling the transaction process, Umar stated, “One day in 2014, when I was in the office, the former governor of Benue State asked me to meet him at his house in Maitama, Abuja. I went there, and he introduced me to a woman who asked for my account details. She then transferred money into my account.” Umar said he converted the naira to dollars at the exchange rate of ₦197 per dollar and delivered the cash to Suswam’s residence.
He described how, on August 8, 2014, he delivered the first tranche equivalent of $2.1 million (₦413 million) in cash to Suswam’s Maitama home. “I called the former governor and informed him that the money was ready. He asked me to bring it to his house near the Jumat Mosque in Maitama,” Umar said. Upon arrival, security guards were alerted of his visit, and he was allowed in, where he handed over the money to Suswam.
Umar further testified that subsequent transfers were made to his account on September 12 and 13, 2014, totaling ₦1 billion, followed by additional payments in October 2014. “On the 12th of September, ₦637 million was transferred to my account, and after 40 minutes, another ₦363 million was sent,” he explained. On October 13, 2014, an additional ₦630 million was transferred, and on October 17, 2014, ₦1.068 billion was deposited into his account, completing the total amount of ₦3.1 billion.
The witness said all the transactions were carried out through the same woman on Suswam’s behalf. Umar noted that while he did not keep receipts or a record book for the transactions, he relied on his experience as a bureau de change operator, buying dollars from fellow currency traders.
Umar also clarified that his testimony was not coerced by the EFCC, stating, “I was neither arrested nor threatened by the Commission to testify against the defendant. I am simply recounting what transpired.”
Justice Peter Lifu adjourned the case to October 4, 2024, for the continuation of the trial, where more witnesses are expected to testify.
The trial, which has been ongoing since 2018, has seen several twists and turns, with previous testimonies shedding light on the extent of the alleged fraud involving public funds from Benue State. GMTNewsng
Source: EFCC
