Crime
Witness Reveals How $15.8m Was Delivered To Ex-Benue Governor In ₦3.1bn Fraud Case
Amid the ongoing trial of former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, a Bureau de Change operator, Abubakar Umar testified on Saturday before the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
Umar disclosed that in 2014, he converted ₦3.1 billion into $15.8 million and delivered the cash to Suswam, providing critical insight into the alleged financial misconduct as the proceedings continue under Justice Peter Lifu’s oversight.
As the sixth prosecution witness in the case, Umar revealed that the funds were transferred to him by Suswam through a proxy during his tenure as governor.
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Umar explained that the transaction occurred in tranches, with the first installment of ₦413 million hitting his account on August 8, 2014.
The total sum eventually amounted to ₦3.1 billion, which Umar then converted to U.S. dollars at a rate of ₦197 per dollar.
The witness, who is the CEO of Fanffash Resources, testified that he delivered the equivalent $15.8 million in cash to Suswam at his Maitama, Abuja residence.
This testimony is part of an ongoing trial involving Suswam and his former Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia, who are facing 11 amended counts of money laundering.
The charges stem from the alleged diversion of funds from the sale of Benue State government shares, which were held by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited and sold through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting the case, alleges that Suswam and Okolobia laundered part of the proceeds of the sale, amounting to ₦3.1 billion.
According to a statement from Dele Oyewale, Head of Media & Publicity at the EFCC on Saturday, the case has been ongoing since 2018, with Umar’s testimony playing a crucial role in the prosecution’s argument.
Led by prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Umar testified that the money transfers were facilitated by a female intermediary, though her identity was not disclosed in the court proceedings.
The trial continues as both Suswam and Okolobia face the amended charges of money laundering in connection with the alleged misappropriation of state funds.
He said, “One day in 2014, when I was in the office, the former governor of Benue State asked me to meet him in his house in Maitama, Abuja. I went and met him in the house together with one fair woman.
“He asked me to give the woman my account number. I gave the woman my Zenith Bank account number. The woman said she’ll send money into that account.
“On the 8th of August 2014, N413 million was transferred to my account. Based on this, I called the former governor and he told me to change the money to dollars and I asked him to give me time to do that. Three days after I bought the dollar equivalent, I called the former governor and informed him that the money was ready.
“He now asked me to take the money to his house in Maitama, near Jumat Mosque. I now told him that he should inform the security at the gate that I was coming, if not they’ll not allow me access into the gate. I took a cab to the house, and after I arrived at the house, I knocked at the gate and they opened. I told them my name.
“They opened the first and second gates and I sat in the waiting room where he came and met me. I now brought out the money which we both confirmed to be the equivalent of the N413 million. The exchange rate then was N197.”
“On the 12th of September 2014, N637 million was transferred to my account. After N637million was transferred to my account, after like 40 minutes N363 million was also transferred into my account. On 13th October 2014, N630, 008,50, (Six Hundred and Thirty Million, Eight Thousand and Fifty Naira) was also transferred to my account.
“On 17th October 2014 1,0068,000 (One Billion, Sixty-eight Million) was transferred to my account. It is the woman that was directed by the former governor to do the transfers. The total money transferred to my account was N3 billion.” he added
The witness confirmed that he was not arrested by the EFCC for giving testimony in favor of the defendant, nor was he pressured by the Commission to testify against the defendant.
He also revealed that he did not maintain receipts or formal records of the transactions, explaining that he buys dollars from other traders and records the details at his own discretion.
However, the case was adjourned until October 4, 2024, for further proceedings.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, March 24, 2025 busted a Ponzi Scheme Academy and arrested 133 suspects in Abuja.
They were arrested at the Compensation Layout in Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, following actionable intelligence on the existence of the Academy.
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The Academy, named Q University (a.k.a Q-Net) is in the business of recruiting gullible young Nigerians who are trained to recruit more gullible citizens into the scheme with the promise of getting unrealistic profit returns.
The suspects are enrolled into a training codenamed: “Special Training for New Generation Billionaire” and brainwashed to believe that they would graduate into the league of billionaires.
It was gathered that got into the training by obtaining a form the promoters called “Independent Representative Application Form” with promotional slogans such as: “I’m a Champion” “I’m Unstoppable”, “I’m Infinity”, among others.
The EFCC carried out the operation in collaboration with officers and men of 176 Guards Battalion, Nigerian Army.
Items recovered from the suspects include phones, computers and other electronic gadgets.
They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a man for allegedly stabbing his 38-year-old wife to death in Oke-Ira, Ilogbo Eremi, Badagry.
Confirming the incident on Thursday, the command’s spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the crime took place on Wednesday.
According to Hundeyin, detectives from the Morogbo Division received a tip-off about the incident and immediately moved to the scene.
“A team of detectives, while on surveillance township monitoring patrol at Oke-Ira, Ilogbo Eremi, got information that the suspect had stabbed his wife to death. The team swiftly raced to the scene and apprehended the suspect,” he said.
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The police recovered a blood-stained kitchen knife from the suspect, who reportedly confessed to the crime during interrogation.
The victim’s remains have been deposited at the Badagry General Hospital morgue, while the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Yaba for further investigation.
Authorities assured the public that the suspect would face the full weight of the law.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano State Zonal Directorate, has arrested popular TikTok influencer Murja Kunya for allegedly abusing the Nigerian currency.
According to a statement released on Monday by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, Kunya was taken into custody for spraying naira notes for fun during her stay at Tahir Guest Palace, a hotel in Kano State.
Her latest arrest follows a dramatic attempt to evade justice after she allegedly jumped administrative bail earlier granted by the commission.
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Kunya was initially arrested in January 2025 for violating the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, which prohibits the abuse and mutilation of the national currency.
Although she was granted bail pending her arraignment before the Federal High Court in Kano, she failed to appear in court and instead went into hiding.
“After weeks of intensive investigation and surveillance, EFCC operatives successfully re-arrested the TikTok Influencer on Sunday, March 16, 2025,” the statement read.
Kunya is now in custody at the Kano Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, where she is awaiting arraignment.
The commission reiterated its commitment to enforcing laws protecting the integrity of the naira and issued a warning against all forms of naira abuse, including spraying, stamping, or mutilating the currency at social events.
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