Alleged N3.1bn Fraud: Suswam’s People Threatened to kill Me, Family – Witness

Abubakar Umar, the fourth prosecution witness, PW4, in the ongoing trial of former Benue Governor,  Gabriel Suswam, over alleged N3.1bn fraud on February 4, 2020.

Umar told Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court, Abuja, that some persons from the side of Suswam pressured and threatened to kill him and his family if he failed to lie while testifying before Justice A.R. Mohammed of a Federal High Court.

Suswam alongside his former Commissioner of Finance, Okolobia Okpanach, is facing prosecution on a nine-count charge bordering on money laundering and diversion of funds to the tune of N3.1 billion, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Abang.

READ: Internet Fraud: EFCC Arrests Eleven Suspects in Enugu

At the hearing, the PW4, who is a Bureau De Change operator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Fantfash Resources told the court that some influential people have been calling on him, persuading him to change his statement against his former boss, Suswam.

“He called and told me to go and see his lawyer, J P Daudu, and when I got there, Daudu asked why did I write my statement the way I did. I told him to ask the person who sent me to him (Suswam). Daudu now told me to leave since it is like this”, he stated.

Umar also revealed how his account was credited with a huge amount of N413 million on August 8, 2014. He added that the first money that entered his account was huge amount from Elixir Investment.

According to him, it took him about eight to 10 days to change the money from Naira to Dollars and before then, there wasn’t much money in the account.

According to him, on September 12, 2014, another N637m was deposited into the account of Fantfash and after one or two hours, another N363m, was also deposited into the account. Umar said he changed the money to Dollars before taking it to the former governor, Suswam.

He also revealed that on October 13, 2014, another N630m was also deposited into the account of Fanffash Resources.

Umar also told the court that on October 17, 2014, Elixir Investment again paid into Fanffash Resources, the sum of N1.68 billion which he also used to buy Dollars, adding that it took him a period of 12 days, to buy the Dollars and thereafter called his former boss, Suswam, to let him know that the Dollars were ready, before taking it to him.

READ: Alleged Money Laundering: Internet Big Boy Mompha Gets N100m Bail

According to the PW4, he was the only person that delivered the money to Suswam adding that it was because he was the only one that the defendant gave instructions to send the money to Fantfash Resources, and exchange the money in Dollars before bringing them to him.

The witness told the court that in all the transactions, he never visited Benue State in his life.

While being cross-examined by the defence counsel, C O Ogbozor,  about his earlier statement that he took the money to the government house in Benue State, Umar confirmed making such statement but added that he made the statement under pressure.

“Yes, I recall saying that, but I was being pressured then. But no, I didn’t take it to Benue Government House. I took it to Government House but I never mentioned Benue or anywhere”, he stated.

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