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Alleged 3.1bn Fraud: How I delivered $15.8m Cash to Suswan in his Residence-Witness

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6 months ago

September 28, 2024

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Abubakar Umar, the Sixth Prosecution Witness, PW6, in the trial of former governor of Benue State, Gabriel
Suswam has narrated before the Federal High Court, Maitama,
Abuja and presided over by Justice Peter Lifu how in 2014, he converted the sum of N3.1 billion, wired to him by Suswam as governor and delivered its equivalent of $15.8m in cash to him at his Maitama, Abuja
residence.

Suswan, alongside his then Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia are facing 11-count amended charges of money laundering to the tune of N3.1 billion, 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 N3.1 billion was transferred to him by Suswam, through a proxy in tranches with the first tranche of N413 million hitting his account on August 8, 2014 and the remaining,
coming in subsequently to sum up to N3.1billion.

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 N3.1billion to dollars, which he said amounted to $15.8 million at the rate of N197 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.

Visit www.efcc.gov.ng for more stories

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Scores forced to leave US as Trump administration revokes student visas

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1 hour ago

April 10, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

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The administration of President Donald Trump has revoked the visas of hundreds of international students, forcing many to exit the US within days.

Some students reportedly received unexpected texts or emails, while others discovered their cancellations through the Federal Student Exchange and Visitor Information System.

Universities across states like California, Colorado, Ohio, and Florida reported cases, though many declined to share details due to student privacy.

According to immigration experts, the scale is unprecedented

“I’ve been doing this for 25 years and I’ve never seen 300 students lose their visas. It’s all political,” immigration attorney Len Saunders said.

Ekwutosblog reports that some visa cancellations appear linked to minor issues like traffic violations or roommate disputes, while others may be tied to participation in pro-Palestinian protests.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed responsibility for revoking no fewer than 300 visas, calling the students “lunatics” for their activism.

“Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” he said.

The students affected are not being detained but told to leave the country within seven days.

This development has sparked protests, including at the University of Arizona and Tufts University, where Turkish student Rumeysa Öztürk was detained despite holding a valid visa.

Colorado State University confirmed six student visa revocations, while the University of Massachusetts-Amherst said five students were affected.

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Fubara’s chief of staff files N2bn suit against Ex-HoS Nweke, Channels TV

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6 hours ago

April 10, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

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Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has filed a N2 billion defamation lawsuit against the immediate past Head of Service of the state, George Nweke, and Channels Television.

Ehie is urging the court, presided over by Justice Stephen Jumbo, to award the sum as damages in his favour.

This follows a televised interview of Nweke on Channels Television on March 29, which Ehie claims was baseless, malicious, and falsely published in a most wicked manner.

When the matter came up in court on Thursday, Ehie’s counsel, Tuduru Edeh, SAN, sought a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, whether by themselves, their agents, privies, servants, or any other representatives, from further publishing or disseminating the said defamatory content.

The plaintiff’s counsel also prayed the court to compel the defendants to immediately retract the publication and issue a public apology to Ehie.

The apology, he requested, should be broadcast on Channels Television, another national television network, and published in two widely read newspapers across Nigeria.

Justice Jumbo, in ruling on the application, granted the orders and directed all parties in the suit to refrain from making further public comments on the matter, pending the determination of the case.

The matter was adjourned to June 4, 2025, for mention and further proceedings.

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CHALLENGES OF TERRORISM REQUIRES HOLISTIC AND MULTIFACETED APPROACH- SENATOR GAIDAM

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21 hours ago

April 10, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

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The Honourable Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam has pointed out that addressing the challenge of terrorism requires a holistic and multifaceted approach among the security agencies
He stated this during the Stakeholders Conference on Security with a theme “A Path to Regional Cooperation” organized by the Ministry of Police Affairs in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force and National Central Bureau (NCB) at the Rockview Hotels, Abuja.

Gaidam stated that implementing the International Standard and good practice of sound, modern, integrated, and cooperative border management will go a long way in putting an end to this threat.
He urged all stakeholders present at the conference to work collaboratively towards a shared vision of security. “We can overcome these challenges and emerge as a beacon of stability and progress in Africa if all hands are put on deck”. Gaidam stressed.
The Minister opined that the objective of this conference is to deliberate on the way forward to achieving a stable regional security thereby focusing on strategies to strengthen collaboration among Interpol member countries in West Africa with a view to fostering partnerships to share intelligence, expertise and approaches for combating trans-border crimes.

In his words, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is pertinent to state that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has worked immensely to curb the insurgency caused by Boko Haram, Bandits and other transnational crimes. Some of these measures include biometric system at border checkpoint, integration of data analytics into border security operations and deployment of surveillance drones along critical border regions”.

Gaidam observed that despite Government’s efforts to end the menace of terrorism and violent extremism in the country, the threat posed by terrorism has risen significantly adding that Nigeria was ranked 6th most impacted country globally according to the 2024 Global Terrorism Index.

He enumerated Government to mitigating insecurity which include deploying the military, cooperating with international partners, implementing counter-terrorism legislation; adoption of a legal framework related to the West African Police Information System (WAPIS); provision of (WAPIS) terminals to allow security agencies access to critical information and Establishment of National Criminal Data Fusion Center (NCDFC) for the Nigerian Police Force.

In his goodwill message the Chairman Police Service Commission, DIG Hashimu Salisu (RTD) represented by Director Police Discipline, Ferdinand Uchechukwu Ekpe, stated that no nation can afford to stand alone in the face of threats and insurgency, noting that a secure and peaceful Nigerian state is necessary for a secure and prosperous West Africa and the entire ECOWAS market area.

Also, the Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (RTD) represented by Director Intelligence Kennedy Zirangey in his good will message states that, the conference came at the right time where the nation is faced with insecurity such as terrorism, banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, community conflicts and myriads of other security challenges adding that all the catalyst behind these insecurity threats is drug usage by the foot soldiers perpetrating these crimes.

Earlier, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Adeolu, represented by Deputy Inspector General Logistics and Supplies DIG A. A. Hamzat, said that the convergence of illicit drugs, small arms, and light weapons in the hands of criminal elements continues to fuel organized crime and extremism, adding that weak border enforcement mechanisms. Fragmented intelligence sharing systems exacerbate the situation.