Suswam's detention by DSS stalls trial for alleged fraud

The trial of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam was stalled on
Tuesday at a Federal High Court, Abuja, due to his continued detention
by the Department of State Services (DSS) for alleged ownership of arms
found at the premises of an Abuja-based property company.
When the matter came up before Justice Ahmed Mohammed, counsel to
Suswam, Chief Joseph Daudu, said that his client’s absence in court was
beyond his control.
Daudu said: “The absence of the defendant is due to no fault of his.
On February 26, he was invited by the DSS and since then he has been
kept in detention without trial. No effort has been made to take him for
trial to state the allegations against him.
“The first defendant is being prosecuted by Federal Government and the
last place he was seen is with an agent of Federal Government.
“The Federal Government is in the best position to say why he is not
here. We don’t know what has happened to him. It is not in disrespect to
this court that he is not here. The absence is not willful or
deliberate,” Daudu said.
The prosecution counsel, Mr A. O. Afolabi, said that he had no
objection, though, he said the two agencies belong to the Federal
Government, but the EFCC was only involved in his prosecution and not
in Suswam’s detention.
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