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N3.1bn fraud: Court dismisses ex-Gov Suswam no-case submission
N3.1bn Fraud: Court Dismisses Ex-Gov Suswam No-Case Submission
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the no-case submission filed by former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, in the ongoing N3.1bn fraud case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Peter Lifu, in a ruling on Wednesday, held that the prosecution had established a prima facie case warranting the defendants to enter their defence.
Suswam, alongside a former Commissioner for Finance, Omodachi Okolobia, is facing an 11-count amended charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N3.1m, alleged to be proceeds from the sale of Benue State government shares.
The funds were allegedly laundered through transactions involving Benue Investment and Property Company Limited, Elixir Securities Limited, and Elixir Investment Partners Limited.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were first arraigned, paving the way for the commencement of trial.
One of the EFCC witnesses, a bureau de change operator, Abubakar Umar, told the court that in 2014, he converted N3.1bn, allegedly transferred to him by Suswam while in office.
According to him, he delivered the dollar equivalent of $15.8m in cash to the former governor at his Maitama, Abuja residence.
The Commission closed its case after calling nine witnesses, the last being Appea Sunday, an EFCC investigator with the Economic Governance Section, who gave his account of the investigation and tendered related documents.
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Following the close of the prosecution’s case, defence counsel led by Paul Erokoro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, orally applied to enter a no-case submission, arguing that the evidence presented did not link their clients to any wrongdoing.
But prosecuting counsel, O.A. Atolagbe, opposed the application, insisting that the Commission had led credible evidence requiring the defendants to enter a defence.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu agreed with the EFCC and dismissed the no-case submission.
“The court is not called upon at this stage to express an opinion based on the evidence before it. It is the court’s considered view that the defence needs to throw more light,” the judge held.
He added, “I do hold that there is a case to answer as the evidence shows the prosecution has established a prima facie case.”
Justice Lifu consequently ordered the defendants to open their defence.
Following the ruling, the defence team requested an adjournment.
The court then fixed September 22 and 26 for the continuation of trial.
Suswam, who governed Benue State from 2007 to 2015, is facing multiple allegations of financial misappropriation.
A judicial panel set up by his successor, Governor Samuel Ortom, had indicted Suswam’s administration over the alleged mismanagement of N6.5bn SURE-P funds, among other infractions.
The EFCC arrested Suswam in 2015 as part of a corruption probe in Benue State.
The case has been reassigned several times, having previously passed through Justices Ahmed Mohammed and Okon Abang before arriving at Justice Peter Lifu’s court.
N3.1bn Fraud: Court Dismisses Ex-Gov Suswam No-Case Submission
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Frank Edoho Faces Fresh Allegations as Estranged Wife Breaks Silence
Frank Edoho Faces Fresh Allegations as Estranged Wife Breaks Silence
Media personality Frank Edoho is facing fresh controversy following serious allegations of infidelity, emotional abuse, intimidation, and financial misconduct levelled against him by his estranged wife, Sandra Onyenucheya, amid the collapse of their marriage.
In a detailed social media statement, Sandra dismissed claims portraying her as unfaithful, insisting she had been unfairly labelled throughout the public fallout surrounding their separation. She described the situation as painful and said she was compelled to speak out to correct what she called long-standing misrepresentations about her character.
Sandra stated that she entered the marriage out of deep affection for Edoho despite resistance from her family, stressing that she remained committed even under difficult circumstances.
According to her, the marriage was allegedly marked by repeated acts of infidelity, which she claimed she later discovered through access to his private communications. She alleged that these discoveries revealed contacts with multiple women, including hotel visits, payments to women, and romantic engagements outside the marriage.
She also accused the broadcaster of subjecting her to years of emotional distress, claiming she endured humiliation, emotional trauma, and alleged physical abuse while remaining silent for a long period due to family considerations and their children.
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Sandra further alleged that she made significant financial contributions during the marriage, including assisting with the repayment of a vehicle loan and investing in property assets. She claimed that one of the properties she financially supported was later sold without her consent.
The estranged wife also accused Edoho of violating her privacy, alleging that he recorded private conversations and released them publicly, an action she described as deeply damaging and humiliating.
In another part of her statement, Sandra alleged that she was subjected to threats during arguments, claiming she was once told she would be harmed in a way that would permanently affect her appearance.
She said the situation eventually reached a breaking point when she feared for her safety, prompting her decision to leave the marriage permanently.
Sandra added that she remained silent for years due to her children and the pressure of public scrutiny, but decided to speak out so her side of the story would be understood in the future.
The allegations come amid ongoing public discussion surrounding the breakdown of the marriage, with both sides previously linked to competing claims and counter-claims in the media.
Neither Frank Edoho nor his representatives have issued a detailed public response to the latest allegations at the time of this report.
Frank Edoho Faces Fresh Allegations as Estranged Wife Breaks Silence
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El-Rufai Denies Wrongdoing As DSS Presents TV Interview In Court
El-Rufai Denies Wrongdoing As DSS Presents TV Interview In Court
The trial of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, took a dramatic turn on Monday after a witness from the Department of State Services (DSS) told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the agency uncovered alleged illegal phone interception involving the former governor through a television interview aired on Arise Television.
The witness, whose identity was concealed for security reasons and identified only as “APC,” appeared before the court as the first prosecution witness in the high-profile case involving alleged unlawful interception of phone conversations linked to National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu.
Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN), the DSS operative told the court that the agency had prior intelligence indicating that El-Rufai would appear on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme.
According to the witness, DSS operatives monitored the interview closely and later concluded that certain remarks made by the former governor amounted to a confessional statement.
“My Lord, the service got information that the defendant would appear on Arise TV Prime Time Show,” the witness said.
He explained that after watching the programme, he immediately briefed senior officials of the DSS.
“I told them that there was a confessional statement where the defendant said he tapped the conversation of the National Security Adviser,” the operative added.
The court heard that the DSS subsequently copied the interview into a flash drive and preserved it as part of the prosecution’s evidence in the case.
The prosecution later tendered the flash drive and a certificate of compliance before the court. Counsel to El-Rufai, Paul Erokoro (SAN), did not object to the admissibility of the materials.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik thereafter admitted both items as exhibits.
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Following the ruling, the prosecution applied for the interview video to be played openly in court, a request that was granted by the judge.
El-Rufai, dressed in a blue agbada, watched the footage from the dock alongside members of his legal team and other observers present in court.
During the interview played in court, the former governor spoke extensively about an alleged encounter with DSS operatives at the Abuja airport after returning from Egypt.
According to El-Rufai, security officials approached him at the airport and attempted to compel him to accompany them without presenting any formal invitation or official document.
“I came out of the plane and a young man came to me and said, ‘I am SSS and they would want to meet with me in our office,’” El-Rufai said in the recorded interview.
The former governor further alleged during the broadcast that the operation against him was ordered by the National Security Adviser.
According to him, information about the alleged directive was obtained through intercepted phone conversations.
“We listened to their calls, someone tapped the phone conversation and told us that he gave the order,” El-Rufai stated in the interview shown in court.
That statement immediately became one of the major issues raised by the prosecution in the ongoing trial.
The DSS is prosecuting El-Rufai on an amended five-count charge bordering on alleged unlawful interception of communications, breach of national security protocols, and offences connected to provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Nigerian Communications Act.
The prosecution alleged that the former governor unlawfully interfered with communications classified as part of Nigeria’s Critical National Information Infrastructure.
During the proceedings, El-Rufai also accused security agencies of being used against him for political purposes.
He claimed he was being targeted because of political alignments linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambitions.
The former governor insisted he had nothing to hide and challenged anyone to produce evidence that he stole public funds during his time in office.
Proceedings were briefly interrupted after the audio quality of the video deteriorated during playback.
Following the technical issue, the prosecution requested additional time to produce a clearer version of the recording, a move the defence did not oppose.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter for continuation of hearing.
Earlier, the court granted El-Rufai bail in the sum of N100 million with one surety in like sum.
The judge ruled that the surety must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 17 and must own landed property in either Maitama or Asokoro, Abuja.
The court also ordered the former governor to surrender all international passports and report monthly to the DSS headquarters pending the determination of the case.
Justice Abdulmalik further approved the prosecution’s request for DSS witnesses to testify under protection throughout the trial.
The court equally dismissed objections raised by the defence challenging the amended charges and granted accelerated hearing in the matter.
El-Rufai Denies Wrongdoing As DSS Presents TV Interview In Court
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ICPC Denies Blocking El-Rufai From Receiving Food, Medical Care In Detention
ICPC Denies Blocking El-Rufai From Receiving Food, Medical Care In Detention
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has dismissed allegations that former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was denied access to food, family members, and medical care while in detention.
The anti-graft agency described the claims as “false and misleading,” insisting that the former governor has continued to receive medical attention and family visits in line with the commission’s detention protocols.
The controversy followed allegations by Mohammed Bello, the lawmaker representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency and son of the former governor, who accused the ICPC of violating his father’s fundamental human rights.
Bello claimed that officials of the commission prevented El-Rufai’s wife from delivering food to him and also blocked his personal doctor from seeing him to discuss the outcome of recent medical examinations.
According to the lawmaker, the doctor was allegedly informed that written approval from the ICPC chairman was required before access could be granted.
However, speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, ICPC spokesperson, Okor Odey, rejected the allegations and maintained that the commission had acted within established procedures.
Odey explained that the agency operates an access-control policy that allows visitors into the detention facility between 9:00am and 6:30pm daily.
According to him, El-Rufai’s wife arrived at the facility around 7:00pm, after official visiting hours had closed.
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“The families of all defendants and suspects in ICPC custody, including the family in question, were duly informed of this protocol and have, until this incident, been in compliance,” Odey said.
He disclosed that one of El-Rufai’s wives and a housemaid had earlier delivered food to the former governor at least three times between 10:30am and 5:30pm on the same day.
The ICPC spokesman also said the commission maintains a visitors’ register containing details of all approved visits, including family members, legal representatives, and medical personnel.
Addressing allegations that El-Rufai’s doctor was denied entry, Odey said the medical personnel were only subjected to standard security and identification procedures before being granted supervised access.
“It is a standard security procedure,” he stated.
Odey further revealed that the former Kaduna governor had recently been allowed to visit both his dentist and eye doctor under ICPC escort.
He added that El-Rufai also has access to in-house medical personnel within the commission whenever necessary.
The ICPC stressed that the former governor’s detention was not politically motivated, noting that he remained in custody because he had yet to meet the bail conditions earlier granted by the court.
El-Rufai has been in the custody of the ICPC since February 19 over alleged financial impropriety linked to his administration as Kaduna State governor between 2015 and 2023.
The former governor was arraigned before the Kaduna State High Court on April 13 on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud, abuse of office, and diversion of public funds.
The commission maintained that it would not be distracted by what it described as “dramatised narratives” aimed at undermining lawful institutional procedures.
ICPC Denies Blocking El-Rufai From Receiving Food, Medical Care In Detention
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