Bureau de Change Operator Reveals He Handed Over $15.8 Million to Former Benue Governor Suswam

A bureau de change operator, Abubakar Umar, has testified in court that he delivered a staggering $15.8 million in cash to former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam in 2014. The disclosure came during the ongoing trial of Suswam, who is facing charges of money laundering.

Umar, who serves as a witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), recounted multiple instances when he received large sums of money from the former governor through intermediaries. He then converted these amounts into dollars before handing them over at Suswam’s residence in Maitama, Abuja.

“One day in 2014, when I was in the office, the former governor of Benue State asked me to meet him at his house in Maitama, Abuja,” Umar said during his testimony. “I went and met him in the house together with one fair woman.”

Umar explained that Suswam instructed him to give his Zenith Bank account number to the woman, who then transferred a huge sum into the account. “On the 8th of August 2014, N413 million was transferred to my account,” he recalled. “Based on this, I called the former governor, and he told me to change the money to dollars. I asked him to give me time to do that.”

Three days later, Umar converted the money into its dollar equivalent and informed Suswam that the funds were ready. “He now asked me to take the money to his house in Maitama, near Jumat Mosque. I requested that he inform the security at the gate of my coming to allow me access into the house,” he narrated.

Detailing the delivery, Umar said, “I took a cab to the house, knocked at the gate, and introduced myself. They opened the first and second gates for me, and I sat in the waiting room where he [Suswam] came and met me. I now brought out the money which we both confirmed to be the equivalent of the N413 million.”

Umar revealed that the total amount transferred to his account was a whopping N3 billion. The money, he claimed, was converted into dollars and delivered to the former governor in several tranches.

The ongoing legal battle is not new for Suswam. In 2020, he and Omadachi Okolobia, a former finance commissioner in Benue State, were re-arraigned on an 11-count charge related to money laundering. The duo is accused of diverting N3.1 billion from state funds. Their legal troubles began in 2015 when they were first arraigned before the Federal High Court.

The presiding judge, Peter Lifu, adjourned the matter until October 4, 2024, for the continuation of the trial.

The allegations and testimonies paint a damning picture of corruption and misuse of public funds. As the case unfolds, it remains to be seen what legal consequences await the former governor and his co-accused.