The Court of Appeal on Wednesday stopped Justice Abang Okon from hearing a case against former governor of Benue, Gabriel Suswam, alongside his former commissioner of finance, Okolobia Okpanachi.
Justice Abang ordered that the matter should go back to Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Suswam and Okpanachi with nine counts of money laundering and diversion of of N3.1 billion.
In a unanimous judgment, the appellate court ordered that the case should be sent back to Justice Mohammed of the same court for continuation of trial.
Justice Emmanuel Agim, who delivered the judgment, also ordered that Justice Mohammed who had shown unjustified reluctance in entertaining the case should give the trial an accelerated hearing.
The court held that Justice Mohammed was wrong to have recused himself from hearing the case on account of fear, when all the parties had expressed confidence in him.
