Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has been re-assigned to handle the trial of ex-Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, for alleged N3.1bn money laundering.
The judge had previously withdrawn from the case in 2016 and 2019.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Suswam and Benue State former Commissioner for Finance, Omodachi Okolobia, for allegedly laundering N3,111,008,018.51 belonging to the state.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja, had on February 19 ordered Justice Okon Abang to whom the case was assigned late 2019 to withdraw from it and transferred it back to Justice Mohammed.
At Thursday’s proceeding, the EFCC counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, and Suswam’s lawyer, Chinelo Ogbozor, urged the court to adjourn the the trial by virtue of the Court of Appeal’s judgment.
READ ALSO: MONEY LAUNDERING: Appeal Court orders Justice Abang to withdraw from Suswam’s trial
On his part, Okolobia’s lawyer, Audu Aloga, who blamed the prosecution for the delay in the resumption of the trial, urged the court to either adjourn for trial or strike out the charges for want of diligent prosecution.
However, the prosecuting counsel described his colleague’s application for striking out of the charges as unfortunate and baseless.
Justice Mohammed fixed September 30 for continuation of trial.
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