Suswam

A Federal High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Monday ordered the remand of former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam and two of his aides in Kuje Prison.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole gave the remand order shortly after the three defendants were arraigned on 32-counts of diversion of a total sum of N9.79 billion meant for Subsidiary Reinvestment Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).

Although the three accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges, Justice Kolawole granted each of them bail in the sum of N250 million among other conditions but ordered that they be remanded in prison custody pending when the Deputy Chief Registrar, Litigation of the court informs the court that all the bail conditions have been duly met.

According to the prosecuting counsel, the ex-governor and the duo of Omadachi Oklobia, a former commissioner of finance in the state and Jeneth Eluga, a former accountant general of the state had connived and allegedly diverted the sum of N9,791,602,453.8 million meant for the Sure-P scheme between 2012 and 2015 while Suswam held sway as executive governor of the state.

 

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