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₦3.1bn Fraud Case: I Handed $15.8m Cash To Suswam At His Home — Witness
₦3.1bn Fraud Case: I Handed $15.8m Cash To Suswam At His Home — Witness....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Abubakar Umar, the Sixth Prosecution Witness in the trial of former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam has narrated before the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, how in 2014, he converted the sum of ₦3.1bn wired to him by Suswam as governor, and delivered its equivalent of $15.8m in cash to him at his Maitama, Abuja residence.
This was revealed in a statement by Head, Media & Publicity, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Dele Oyewale on Saturday.
Suswan, alongside his then Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia facing 11-count amended charges of money laundering to the tune of ₦3.1bn, being part of the proceeds from the sales of the state government’s shares held on its behalf by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited, sold through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited.
During the court’s proceedings, the witness, a bureau de change operator and CEO of Fanffash Resources, who has been testifying on the matter since 2018, first, before Justice A.R Mohammed and later Justice Okon Abang, disclosed that the total sum of Suswan, alongside his then Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia are facing 11-count amended charges of money laundering to the tune of ₦3.1bn was transferred to him by Suswam, through a proxy in tranches with the first tranche of ₦413m hitting his account on August 8, 2014 and the remaining, coming in subsequently to sum up to ₦3.1bn.
Umar, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, affirmed that the proxy who did the naira transfers to him was a woman.
According to the witness, he had to change a total sum of ₦3.1bn to dollars, which he said amounted to $15.8 million at the rate of ₦197 to a dollar and delivered it to Suswam in his Maitama, Abuja residence.
“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”, he said
Testifying further, he said, “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”.
The witness who stated that he was neither arrested by the EFCC for giving any testimony in favor of the defendant, nor threatened by the Commission to give evidence against the defendant, further disclosed that he did not have receipts for the transactions, so also no record book for them, stating that he buys dollars from his fellow retailers and only records based on discretion.
Justice Lifu adjourned the matter till October 4,2024, for continuation of trial.
UNICEF has officially authenticated the viral images of Lionel Messi bathing an infant Lamine Yamal, confirming they are not digitally altered.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
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Origin: The images were captured over 18 years ago by Spanish photographer Joan Monfort during a UNICEF charity calendar photoshoot intended to raise funds.
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Participants: The shoot featured a young Lionel Messi, the infant Lamine Yamal, and Yamal’s mother, Sheila.
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Clarification: UNICEF addressed public skepticism and rumors of image manipulation by explicitly confirming the authenticity of the photos on their platform.
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Current Roles: Both Messi and Yamal now serve as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, utilizing their respective platforms to advocate for children’s rights globally.
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Symbolism: Many fans view the resurfaced images as a symbolic “passing of the torch” between two football generations, a sentiment highlighted as Messi’s Argentina prepares to face Yamal’s Spain in an upcoming FIFA World Cup match.
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Ambassadorial Nomination Under Fire: Frank Tie Tie Exposes ‘Mistake’ Regarding Ex-FUOYE VC Fasina!.
Human rights lawyer Frank Tietie has criticized the nomination and subsequent confirmation of Professor Abayomi Fasina, the former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, as a non-career ambassador designate.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
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Prior to his confirmation, a coalition of civil society organizations protested at the National Assembly on July 7, 2026, opposing Fasina’s nomination due to pending court cases involving allegations of sexual harassment, human rights violations, and victimization.
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Despite these protests, the Nigerian Senate officially confirmed Fasina’s appointment as a non-career ambassador on Thursday.
Frank Tietie’s Position
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During an interview on ARISE Television, Tietie argued that nominating an individual with such “baggage” was a mistake, emphasizing that ambassadors represent Nigeria in the same capacity as the President.
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Tietie stated that the government should have sent the “right signals” by avoiding such controversial appointments, especially given the current state of governance.
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He argued that even in the absence of a final court judgment, the allegations themselves have “tainted” Fasina’s reputation, and the Senate should have delayed the confirmation until the legal matters were resolved.
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Tietie also suggested that the National Assembly’s decision overlooks significant social changes regarding how such allegations are now viewed by society.
Peter Obi, the 2027 presidential candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has publicly claimed that there was an orchestrated plan to assassinate him in April 2025 during a scheduled humanitarian trip to Benue State. He detailed these allegations during a high-level roundtable discussion in Berlin, Germany.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
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The Venue: Obi made the disclosure while participating in the “Nigeria in 2027 and Beyond” roundtable, an event organized by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in Berlin.
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The Benue Incident: The former Anambra State governor explained that his planned outreach in Benue State was initially halted after the state government issued a cautionary directive advising him against making the trip.
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The Attack: Obi claimed that a shootout actually occurred when he attempted to visit the location, confirming his fears of an active plot against his life.
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Frustration Over Skepticism: Expressing deep disappointment over the state government’s handling of the situation and the public’s doubt regarding his safety, Obi challenged the skepticism. He emphatically asked, “What else do you need? Do you need somebody to die before you believe it? There was already a shootout when I tried to visit the place. Once they said, ‘Don’t come here.’ What else do you want me to tell you about the attempt on my life.”
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