On Wednesday, November 4, some journalists and lawyers besieged the court premises following a statement from the EFCC over the planned arraignment of the ex-governor.
Addressing journalists, who had been waiting for several hours, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the prosecution counsel to the EFCC, revealed that the arraignment was not going to hold as planned. He said that the case was yet to be assigned to a judge of the court for adjudication by the Chief Judge of the Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta.
The reports stated that Justice Auta was attending a seminar organised for judges outside the court premises.
A month ago, the commission filed a nine-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N3.1 billion against Suswam.
The ex-governor and his former finance commissioner, Omodachi Okolobia, allegedly diverted the proceeds of the sale of shares owned by the Benue state government and Benue Investment and Property Company Limited.
The EFCC had earlier arrested Suswam and Okolobia, grilled them for many days. However, last month they were released on administrative bail.
While the ex-governor is still facing trial by the EFCC, he has recently successfully stopped his probe by his successor, Samuel Ortom, by securing the order of the State High Court to restrain the commission of inquiry raised by the governor from investigating his tenure.
Meanwhile, a group under the auspices of Benue Coalition for Justice, Equity and Fairness alleged that the invitation of the former governor by the EFCC was the handiwork of some political heavy weights in the state.
The group also condemned the moves by Ortom to probe his predecessor, calling it a witch-hunt. According to members of the group, Suswam’s era represented the best period for the state since 1999, but for the unfortunate delayed salaries, which became the bane of the entire country in the last two years.
