Former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam was battling for bail yesterday after spending over one month in the custody of the Department of State Service (DSS). It was learnt that the counsel to the former governor, Mr. J.B. Daudu (SAN), came from Kaduna to Abuja yesterday to press for his bail.
The DSS is still investigating the ex-governor for alleged link with a militia leader, Terwaze Akwazza (a.k.a Gana) who has held three local governments captive in Benue State. The local government areas are Logo, Katsina-Ala and Ukum. The continued detention of the former governor is said to be for “security reasons.” The recent invasion of Zaki-Biam by unknown militia was said to have fuelled the decision of the DSS to hold on to Suswam.
Some supporters of the ex-governor, however, suspect that he is being detained because of the forthcoming June 3 local government poll. Suswam has been battling for bail after spending one month and eight days in custody.
A source said: “Apart from responding to about six petitions, a major claim against Suswam is security reason. The rampaging activities of Terwaze Akwazza (a.k.a Gana) and his boys have been giving the state government a sleepless night. “There are some intelligence reports that the ex-governor has a link with the militia leader and it might pose a ‘grave security risk’ to release him.
“But the ex-governor, who has denied any relationship with the militia leader, said there was no way he could locate Akwazza.” Suswam’s counsel, Mr. J.B. Daudu (SAN), has been shuttling between his base in Kaduna and Abuja to secure bail for his client. The battle for bail is in process but I don’t think the DSS will yield grounds based on security reasons. With the evidence at hand, there is no way Suswam will not be prosecuted for fraud-related cases. The allegations against him are multi-dimensional,” the source added.
Some Benue State leaders are pushing for his release. Ex-Senate President David Mark wrote an emotional letter to Suswam, urging him not to be dispirited by the situation. Mark, whose letter was taken to Suswam by a former Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, asked the ex-governor to be strong and get closer to God. He said as a Catholic, he could only support the ex-governor with prayers with a caveat that “with faith in God, it will soon be over”.
A source close to the family said: “Suswam is already dejected in custody having been abandoned by his kinsmen and associates. But Mark and some other leaders from Benue State stood by Suswam. They include ex-Commissioner of Police Abubakar Tsav; Moro; a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Mzenda Iho; ex-PDP chairman in Benue State, Emmanuel Agbo; and the party chairman, John Mgbede . Some of them have visited the ex-governor in detention.”
The Benue State government referred the report of the Commission of Inquiry against Suswam and 51 others to the DSS and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and prosecution. The over 240 pages report alleged that Suswam and many of his appointees, including civil servants, mismanaged the resources. The panel recommended that 52 individuals and 10 corporate bodies should refund over N107 billion to the government. It also recommended deeper investigations and possible refund of over N44 billion from transactions it found not to be in compliance with the financial guidelines.
The panel said N1. 21 trillion accrued to the state from about 27 identified sources out of which N802 billion was appropriated and N219 billion was expended but not appropriated. The former governor, a former Commissioner, a former Special Adviser on Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs and two former permanent secretaries, and a former accountant of the Bureau were alleged to have diverted local government funds amounting to N51, 559,859,968.00 into personal use.
Suswam is facing trial before a Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged N3.1bn fraud relating to the issue raised by the Justice Kpojime-led probe panel.
The Nation
