Senator Gabriel Torwua Suswam

Senator Gabriel Torwua Suswam (born 15 November 1964, Anyiin, Logo Local Government Area, Benue State) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who served as the elected civilian Governor of Benue State from 29 May 2007 to 29 May 2015 on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) platform, and subsequently as Senator for Benue North-East from June 2019 to June 2023. Educated at the University of Lagos (LL.B, 1989) and the Nigerian Law School (BL, 1990), he practised at the Bar before contesting elective office, serving two terms as Member of the House of Representatives for Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo Federal Constituency from 1999 to 2007. His governorship spanned the Yar'Adua and Jonathan administrations; his Senate tenure ran through the Buhari second term and the early Tinubu period. He is the central figure in one of the most procedurally protracted Fourth Republic former-governor prosecutions, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's N3.1 billion money-laundering charge before the Federal High Court, Abuja (Maitama Division). The case arises from the proceeds of the sale of Benue State Government shares in what was then Dangote Cement Plc — shares originally allocated to the State on the privatisation of the former Benue Cement Company in 2005 and held on the State's behalf by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC). The EFCC alleges that between 8 August and 30 October 2014, the late-second-term Governor and his then Commissioner for Finance, Mr Omadachi Okolobia, procured the sale of those shares through Elixir Securities Limited and the associated transmission of proceeds through Elixir Investment Partners Limited in a manner that diverted approximately N3.1 billion. A Bureau de Change operator (Abubakar Umar of Fanffash Resources) testified that he was wired the N3.1 billion, converted it to US$15.8 million at the prevailing N197/dollar rate, and delivered the cash to the then-Governor at his Maitama, Abuja residence. The procedural history is intricate. Suswam and Mr Okolobia were initially arraigned on a 9-count charge before Hon. Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on 10 November 2015, less than six months after Suswam handed over the Benue State Government House. Justice Mohammed admitted each defendant to bail in the sum of N100 million with a surety not below Director-cadre in federal/state/local government service, with international passports surrendered to the registrar. Justice Mohammed subsequently recused himself in 2016 following reporting alleging that he had been compromised; the matter was reassigned to Hon. Justice Okon Abang, with the defence challenging jurisdiction. In February 2020 the Court of Appeal directed return of the file to Justice Mohammed, before whom the defendants were re-arraigned on an amended 11-count charge on 2 November 2020. When Justice Mohammed was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2023, the case was reassigned to Hon. Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, before whom the trial substantially proceeded. The prosecution called nine witnesses and closed its case in December 2023. The defendants filed a no-case submission under sections 302 and 303 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, arguing that the EFCC had failed to establish a prima facie case. On 23 July 2025, Justice Lifu dismissed the no-case submission, holding that the prosecution evidence had established a prima facie case warranting an explanation from the defendants, and ordering them to open their defence. The defence opening was initially delayed (lead counsel J.B. Daudu SAN twice sought adjournments — one in September 2025 citing the hospitalisation of junior counsel Chinelo Ogbozor and a pending interlocutory appeal — with the trial judge famously remarking that 'a case should not go on for 10 years' and that 'we cannot continue this way'). Mr Suswam ultimately testified as the sole defence witness; the defence closed on 24 November 2025. The court adjourned the matter to 20 January 2026 for the adoption of final written addresses, with 14 days each given to prosecution and defence to file and respond to addresses. Charitable framing: Suswam, through his counsel, has consistently maintained his innocence; the defence position before the no-case ruling was that the EFCC had not by credible evidence linked either defendant to the allegations on the charge sheet, and the substantive ruling on the merits is yet to be delivered. The case remains in the `arraigned` status per the archive convention pending the post-final-addresses verdict. On the political side, in February 2026 Mr Suswam resigned his PDP membership citing internal party crises; on 11 April 2026 he announced a Senate run for Benue North-East on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform for the 2027 general elections, and on 19 May 2026 he emerged as the APC senatorial candidate for the district at the party's primary. The flagship EFCC trial is referenced as HEDA Compendium case #3 in the 2021 HEDA Resource Centre publication of 100 high-profile Nigerian corruption cases.