Former Governor of Benue State, Senator Gabriel Suswam, has denied allegations of diverting public funds during his tenure between 2007 and 2015.
Testifying in his defence before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, Suswam insisted he did not steal from the state while serving as governor. He is standing trial alongside his former Commissioner of Finance, Omadachi Okolobia, on charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Suswam told the court that while his monthly salary as governor was N700,000, he earned additional income through legitimate private ventures, including large-scale rice farming and cattle ranching — activities permitted by the Nigerian Constitution for public officeholders.
“The office of the governor may sound big, but the income is low,” he said.
Led in evidence by his counsel, Mrs. Chinelo Ogbozor, Suswam denied receiving any funds said to be the proceeds from the sale of the state’s shares in Benue Cement Company. He specifically refuted claims by one Abubakar Umar, a bureau de change operator and the EFCC’s fifth prosecution witness, who had earlier told the court that he delivered $15.8 million (about N3.1 billion) to the Benue State Government Lodge in Maitama, Abuja, on Suswam’s behalf.
“My Lord, I know Abubakar Umar, but in this particular case, I had no transaction with him regarding the facts of this case. At no time did I instruct him to collect the said amount, convert it, and give it back to me as alleged in the charge. I have no such transaction with him,” Suswam testified.
Justice Peter Lifu adjourned further hearing in the case to November 5 and 12.
