Abubakar Umar, the sixth prosecution witness in the trial of former Benue State governor Gabriel Suswam, testified before the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, detailing how he converted ₦3.1 billion, wired to him by Suswam in 2014, into $15.8 million and delivered it in cash at Suswam’s residence in Maitama, Abuja. The case is being presided over by Justice Peter Lifu.
This information was disclosed in a statement issued by the Head of Media & Publicity for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dele Oyewale, on Saturday.
Suswam and former Finance Commissioner Omodachi Okolobia are facing 11 revised counts for money laundering totalling ₦3.1 billion. The monies were allegedly derived from the sale of Benue State government shares held by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited and sold through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited.
Umar, a bureau de change operator and CEO of Fanffash Resources, has been testifying since 2018, first before Justice A.R Mohammed and then before Justice Okon Abang. He explained that the ₦3.1 billion was sent to him in installments, beginning with ₦413 million on August 8, 2014, and totalling ₦3.1 billion.
While being put in evidence by prosecution lawyer Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Umar disclosed that the naira transactions were done by a female proxy for Suswam. He transferred the monies to dollars at a rate of ₦197 per dollar, totalling $15.8 million, and gave it to Suswam at his Maitama apartment.
Umar recalled: “One day in 2014, while at my office, the former governor of Benue State invited me to visit him at his Maitama mansion in Abuja. When I got there, I met him and a fair-skinned woman. He requested me to give her my account information, and she said she would transfer funds to my account. On August 8, 2014, ₦413 million was transferred. I informed the former governor and he instructed me to convert the funds to dollars. After three days, I delivered the dollar equivalent to him at his residence near the Jumat Mosque in Maitama.”
He testified that cash were deposited to his account many times, including ₦637 million on September 12, 2014, ₦363 million shortly after, ₦630 million on October 13, 2014, and ₦1.068 billion on October 17, 2014. Suswam received a total of ₦3 billion in transfers facilitated by the same woman.
Umar further stated that he was not coerced by the EFCC into testifying against Suswam, nor was he arrested or threatened. He stated that he did not keep receipts or other records of the transactions because he generally bought dollars from other sellers on trust.
Justice Lifu delayed the case until October 4, 2024, for further trial proceedings.