For yet another time, the court has dismissed a fraud case filed against the Chairman of Zinox Technologies, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, his wife, Chioma Ekeh, and 11 others.
The latest ruling came from Justice Akpan Okon Ebong of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, who struck out the case filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana. Falana had purportedly acted on a fiat granted by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of Nigeria, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi SAN, in filing charges against Mr. Ekeh and 12 others.
The other defendants include Mr. Chris Eze Ozims, Oyebode Folashade, Charles Adigwe, Obilo Onuoha, Agartha Ukoha, Anya O. Anya, Femi Dosumu, Nnenna Kalu, Admas Digital Technologies Limited, Technology Distributions Limited, and Zinox Technologies Limited.
Case Background
The case, referenced as Suit No. FCT/HC/CR/985/24 and filed in November 2024, originated from allegations made by Mr. Benjamin Joseph, CEO of Citadel Oracle Concept Limited, an Ibadan-based computer firm. Joseph claimed that Ekeh and others had diverted N162,247,513.80 from a laptop supply contract awarded to Technology Distribution Ltd (now TD Africa) by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in 2012. The contract had been executed by Technology Distribution on behalf of Citadel Oracle Concept.
However, in the certified true copy of the judgment dated March 20, 2025, Justice Ebong ruled:
“It is my conclusion based on the foregoing that this charge (No. FCT/HC/CR/985/2024, Federal Republic of Nigeria v Leo Stan Ekeh and 12 ORS) constitutes a gross abuse of court process and is liable to dismissal. I accordingly hereby dismiss it.”
Court Findings and Prior Rulings
Before delivering the judgment, Justice Ebong reviewed previous cases and petitions filed by Mr. Joseph, none of which were ruled in his favor. The judge noted:
“One intriguing aspect of this matter is that none of the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation of the nominal complainant’s (Mr. Joseph) numerous petitions has found merit in any of his allegations against the defendants. When called upon before Senchi J. (Justice Danlami Z. Senchi) to prove his said allegations to the court, he failed to turn up in court. One then wonders on what premise he wants to maintain this campaign of persecution against the defendants.”
Earlier court rulings had already established that Mr. Joseph and Citadel were, in fact, the masterminds of a failed money diversion scheme, rather than victims of fraud.
Reaction from Defendants
One of the defendants, lawyer Mr. Chris Eze Ozims, welcomed the ruling, stating:
“This ruling truly reflects our consistent position on the allegations, and it is good that we have been vindicated once more by a competent high court.”
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Chief Counsel to the defendants, Mr. Matthew Burkaa SAN, also hailed the judgment as a victory for integrity and the rule of law.
Legal History and Contradictions in Joseph’s Claims
Court documents reveal that Falana’s suit was based on claims that had already been dismissed as false and baseless by multiple courts. The case originated from a contract between Citadel and Technology Distributions Limited, which was fully funded by Technology Distributions and had no connection to Zinox or its Chairman, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh.
In a separate legal proceeding, Mr. Joseph had been found to have misled law enforcement. In 2013, police authorities discovered that he had provided false information, leading to a charge against him for false information (Charge No. CR/216/16).
In another case, filed at his instance by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against his business associate, Princess Kama, Justice Danlami Z. Senchi (as he then was) of the FCT High Court dismissed Joseph’s claims as false and ordered him to pay N20 million in damages for false petitioning (Charge No. FCT/HC/CR/244/2018).
Additionally, in suit No: LD/4335/2014 filed in the Lagos State High Court, Mr. Joseph stated under oath that Citadel Oracle Concept Limited had never executed any contract with FIRS and was unaware of any awarded contract. However, contradicting his claims, an official FIRS letter dated February 11, 2014, confirmed that Citadel had, in fact, authorized payments to its account in relation to the contract.
Repeated Legal Failures
The latest suit marks the third attempt by Mr. Joseph to revive the case. His previous filings include:
Charge No. CR/469/2022: Struck out by Justice C. O. Oba of the FCT High Court on November 8, 2022.
Charge No. FCT/HC/CR/244/2018: Dismissed by Justice Danlami Z. Senchi, with a N20 million fine imposed for false petitioning.
Charge before Justice A. S. Adepoju: Struck out on March 19, 2024, with Justice Adepoju stating:
“This matter was brought in dead, extinct and should be confined to the dustbin of history… I hold that the instant suit is an abuse of the process of court and it is hereby struck out accordingly.”
With Justice Ebong’s ruling, the case has once again been dismissed, reinforcing previous judgments that found the allegations baseless. The judgment further underscores the recurring legal defeats suffered by Mr. Joseph in his bid to prosecute Ekeh and others, marking yet another legal vindication for Zinox Technologies and its Chairman.