Crime & Justice

We Can’t Continue This Way, Judge Fumes At Ex-Gov Suswam Over Alleged N3.1bn Fraud Case

Published

1 year ago

September 22, 2025

Editor

The trial of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswan before Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, was on Monday, stalled due to defendant’s inability to commence his defence.

Suswan, alongside his then Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia, is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on amended 11-count charges for allegedly diverting N3.1bn, being part of proceeds from the sale of the Benue State shares, held on its behalf by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited, through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited.

Justice Lifu had on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, dismissed a no-case submission made by Suswan on the matter, ordering him to commence his defence.

Suswan, through his counsel, J.B Daudu, SAN, asked the court for three weeks’ adjournment to enable him to prepare for his defence.

According to him, one of his lawyers, Chenelu Ogbozor is currently on hospital admission as well as the fact that he has filed an appeal against the ruling of the trial court in his no-case submission and urged the trial court to hold on until the determination of the appeal.

The prosecution counsel, A.O. Atolagbe, in his response, urged the court to discontenace the prayer of the defence, stating that the annual recess of the courts provided it with more than two months opportunity to prepare for the defence.

“We have more than two months to prepare for the defence. In fact, this case has been up for 10 years, and they have more than 10 years to prepare for defence.

“We can not wait for the Court of Appeal and ask that the trial court wait. Except in a case where the Court of Appeal gives a date and gives a ruling, that is when this court can be bound by this.

“But this court can not stall proceedings because of that application. We ask that the trial court discountenance this. My lord, it is unfair for them to ask for three weeks, the defence had more than three months during the break to prepare for their case,” he said.

Justice Lifu regretted the slow progress of the trial, noting that the trial has dragged for more than 10 years and urged both parties to work towards its conclusion.

He stated that “This morning when I came, I was searching for the file of this case and I couldn’t find it. In fact, until now, I have not set my eyes on the application of the Court of Appeal you are talking about. I had to send my people to go to the appeal registry of the court to look for the file only to see the case file scattered and littered all over the place.

” It was the reason why I came here late. We cannot go on like this, this case has been on for 10 years. No matter what, a case should not go on for 10 years,”

He adjourned the matter till October 10, 2025 for Suswam to commence his defence.

Crime & Justice

EFCC Arraigns Businessman for Alleged ₦30.14m Fraud

Published

1 month ago

October 1, 2026

Staff Editor

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, arraigned a businessman, Christopher Elendu Enyinnwa, before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, over an alleged ₦30.14 million fraud.

Enyinnwa was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on fraudulent conversion and obtaining money under false pretences in connection with the proposed supply of slippers from China.

The defendant was alleged to have collected a total of ₦30,140,000 from the petitioner, Chidebere Love Okafor, for the supply of slippers from China.

Count One reads: “Christopher Elendu Enyinwa sometime in August 2024, at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division, fraudulently converted for your own use the sum of Two Million Naira (₦2,000,000.00), property of Chidebere Love Okafor.”

Count Two reads: “Christopher Elendu Enyinwa sometime in August 2024, at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division, fraudulently converted for your own use the sum of Eleven Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Three Thousand Naira (₦11,923,000.00), property of Chidebere Love Okafor.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following his plea, prosecution counsel, Fanen Anum, informed the court that the prosecution was ready for trial and had two witnesses available in court.

Defence counsel, K.C. Atuenyi, however, sought an adjournment to enable him to prepare for trial, explaining that he had prepared only for the arraignment.

Justice Abike-Fadipe overruled the defence request and directed the prosecution to call its first witness.

The first prosecution witness, PW1, Okafor Love Chidebere, who works at Gomac Industry Nigeria Limited and is the petitioner, told the court that she knew the defendant as a fellow church member.

According to her, Enyinnwa had told her that he travelled to China for business and could assist her in purchasing slippers from China.

She said, “He is my church member. I knew him in church. He told me he buys goods, and I approached him to buy slippers in China for me.”

The witness explained that, after discussing the product she wanted to purchase, she gave the defendant a sample of the slippers to take to China.

She said the defendant subsequently provided a price for the goods, which she initially considered high because she was negotiating with another company offering a lower price.

According to her, she eventually trusted Enyinnwa because he was her church member and agreed to proceed with the transaction.

She told the court that the defendant requested an initial deposit of ₦2 million, which she paid into his Access Bank account in August 2024.

The witness further stated that, after the defendant returned from China, he showed them samples of the slippers, following which some amendments were made and the samples were returned to him.

She said the defendant later requested ₦11,923,000 to commence production, which was also paid into his Access Bank account.

According to her, the defendant subsequently demanded another ₦15 million as the balance, which was paid to him.

She said, “After that, he told us that he will go back to ship the goods in a very short while.”

However, when the defendant did not travel as expected, the witness said they contacted him, and he claimed that he was having issues with his travel documents.

She further told the court that, after several calls, the defendant requested another ₦2 million to facilitate his travel documents.

According to her, she and her husband agreed to provide the money because they wanted him to travel back to China and complete the transaction.

The witness said the defendant eventually travelled to China in February 2025 and later informed them that he had shipped goods, including clothes, and would provide the relevant documents when the shipment arrived.

She said the goods, however, did not arrive as promised.

The witness further narrated that her pastor subsequently summoned her to his office and informed her that some of the defendant’s claims were allegedly untrue.

She said members of the church intervened in the matter and the defendant promised to refund the money, but had yet to do so.

According to PW1, “The total amount is ₦30,140,000. Up till now, I have not seen the goods and the money.”

During cross-examination, defence counsel, K.C. Atuenyi, requested another date to cross-examine the witness.

The prosecution thereafter urged the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility.

Justice Abike-Fadipe adjourned the matter to November 26, December 16 and 17, 2026, for continuation of trial and ordered that the defendant be remanded in a correctional facility.

Crime & Justice

Court Jails Fake Spiritualist for Sextortion in Abuja

Published

2 months ago

September 10, 2026

Staff Editor

Justice C.N. Nwabulu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, convicted and sentenced a fake spiritualist, Solomon Odigie Moses, to one year’s imprisonment.

Moses was arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on cheating and impersonating a spiritualist, thereby defrauding and obtaining the sum of $1,100 (One Thousand, One Hundred United States Dollars) from an Indian lady seeking spiritual healing.

Moses, who was arrested in Ekpoma, Edo State, received and laundered the $1,100 through his Zelle payment platform, after which the naira equivalent was paid into his local bank account.

The convict subsequently deceived the victim into taking a naked spiritual bath, which he recorded live without her permission, and thereafter blackmailed her, demanding that she send him money or he would make the video public.

Investigation by the EFCC revealed that the victim had to pay the sum of $1,100 to the suspect to prevail on him not to release the video of her nudity to the public.

The charge against him read: “That you, Solomon Odigie Moses (A.K.A. DR SOLOMON), sometime in 2026 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did fraudulently impersonate a spiritual leader named Dr. Solomon on a fictitious TikTok account and obtained the sum of $1,100 (One Thousand, One Hundred Dollars) from an Indian lady by name Sharon Kaur, for the purpose of spiritual prayer and assistance, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) LFN, 1990 and punishable under Section 322 of the same Act.”

He pleaded “guilty”, following which the prosecution counsel, Maryam Hayatudeen, urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.

In his ruling, Justice Nwabulu convicted and sentenced Moses to one year’s imprisonment with an option of a ₦300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) fine.

The judge further directed that the $1,100 proceeds of crime be forfeited to the victim through the EFCC.

Crime & Justice

Immigration Intercepts Two With ₦34m Allegedly Meant For Kidnap Ransom

Published

2 months ago

September 10, 2026

Staff Editor

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has intercepted two persons in Adamawa State with ₦34 million in cash, with the suspects allegedly linked to a kidnapping syndicate.

The suspects were intercepted with the cash during an operation in the state.

The Comptroller of Immigration Service, Sani Sule-Jega, disclosed this at a media briefing in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

According to him, preliminary investigations showed that the suspects claimed the money was intended to pay ransom for their abducted brother.

In a separate operation, the Adamawa State Command of the NIS also intercepted 17 irregular migrants at Rumde Baruw in Yola North Local Government Area of the state.

The undocumented migrants were intercepted at a private three-bedroom residence during an operation by officers of the command.

Sule-Jega said preliminary profiling showed that 13 of the migrants were Cameroonian nationals, comprising eight males and five females, while the remaining four were Chadian nationals, all males.

The Comptroller noted a shift in the accommodation pattern of undocumented migrants, particularly their increasing use of private and unregistered apartments instead of conventional lodging facilities such as hotels.

He said the service was intensifying surveillance and intelligence-led operations to identify and address emerging patterns of irregular migration in the state.

Sule-Jega reiterated the command’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity, improving migration management and strengthening border security.

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist security agencies in maintaining peace and security across the state.

The suspects and recovered cash have been taken into custody for further investigation and necessary action in accordance with established procedures and applicable laws.

The Comptroller General of Immigration has directed that the suspects and exhibits be handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation.