News Highlights:
- Court Dismisses Fraud Case Against Zinox Chairman Again
- Court Condemns Serial Legal Battles and Vindicates Defendants
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has once again dismissed a fraud case filed against the Chairman of Zinox Technologies, Leo Stan Ekeh, his wife, Chioma Ekeh, and eleven others.
Justice Akpan Okon Ebong struck out the case, which was filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, on behalf of Benjamin Joseph, CEO of Citadel Oracle Concept Limited.
Falana had claimed to be acting on a fiat granted by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, against the Chairman of Zinox Technologies, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, and 12 others.
The other defendants are 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.
In the suit, which was registered as FCT/HC/CR/985/2024, Falana alleged that Ekeh, 9 other individuals and 3 companies diverted ₦162.2 million from a laptop supply contract at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) which Technology Distribution Ltd (now TD Africa), the biggest tech equipment distributor in sub-Saharan Africa supplied on behalf of Citadel in 2012.
However, in a judgment dated March 20, 2025, Justice Ebong ruled that the case constituted a gross abuse of court process and dismissed it entirely.
“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,” the court ruled.
Court Condemns Serial Legal Battles
Before delivering his judgment, Justice Ebong carefully reviewed the history of similar cases previously filed by Benjamin Joseph. He noted that multiple courts had dismissed Joseph’s claims in the past, and law enforcement agencies that investigated the allegations found no merit in any of them.
The judge highlighted that Joseph had a history of failing to substantiate his claims in court and referenced an earlier instance where Joseph had been summoned to prove his allegations before Justice Danlami Senchi, yet he failed to appear.
“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,” Justice Ebong said.
Justice Ebong questioned the basis for what he described as a continued “campaign of persecution” against the defendants.
Furthermore, previous court rulings had established that Ekeh and the twelve other defendants were not the perpetrators but rather victims of a failed money diversion scheme orchestrated by Benjamin Joseph and his company, Citadel Oracle Concept Limited.
Defendants React to Court Victory
Following the ruling, one of the defendants, Chris Eze Ozims, a lawyer, expressed relief, stating that the judgment validated their long-standing position on the case.
According to him, the ruling reaffirmed the fact that the allegations were baseless and that the defendants had once again been vindicated by a competent court.
“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,” he said.
Similarly, lead counsel for the defendants, Matthew Burkaa SAN, described the judgment as a victory for integrity and the rule of law. He emphasized that the ruling aligned with previous court decisions that had consistently found no merit in Joseph’s allegations.
History of False Allegations
Court records revealed that this was not the first time Joseph had made these accusations, as he had repeatedly pursued the case through various legal channels, all of which ended in failure.
In 2016, a police investigation concluded that Joseph had provided false information regarding the case, which led to his prosecution in Charge No. CR/216/16.
In 2018, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed a case against his former partner, Princess Kama, based on Joseph’s petition. However, Justice Danlami Senchi dismissed all his allegations as false and went further to impose a ₦20 million fine on him for false petitioning.
In 2019, Joseph, under oath, made statements in the Lagos High Court (Suit No: LD/4335/2014) that directly contradicted his claims. He swore that his company, Citadel Oracle Concept Limited, had never executed any contract with FIRS and had no knowledge of any contract award.
However, a letter from the FIRS, dated February 11, 2014, addressed to the law firm of Afe Babalola & Co., refuted Joseph’s claims. The letter confirmed that Citadel Oracle Concept Limited had instructed FIRS to make payments to its Access Bank account in relation to the contract.
“Contrary to your client’s claim that they knew nothing about the execution of the contract awarded to them and that they did not receive any payment for the execution of the contract, our record reveals otherwise.
“Your client instructed FIRS through a letter dated December 13, 2012, to deal with Princess O. Kama (Your client’s agent) in relation to the contract. Through three separate letters dated December 20, 2012, your client instructed FIRS to pay to the client’s account with Access Bank plc. Please note that FIRS acted in compliance with your client’s instruction and with due diligence,” the FIRS letter stated.
This letter, signed by Idrissa Kogo, Head of the FIRS Legal Department, proved that Joseph had knowingly misrepresented the facts.
Case Already Declared “Dead on Arrival”
The fraud case filed by Falana was the third attempt by Joseph to revive the matter through different courts, despite previous dismissals.
In 2022, Justice C. O. Oba of the FCT High Court struck out an earlier version of the case, which was filed as Charge No. CR/469/2022.
Determined to continue the legal battle, Joseph refiled the case before Justice A. S. Adepoju of the FCT High Court. However, on March 19, 2024, the judge dismissed it once again, delivering a scathing verdict in which he stated that:
“This matter was brought in dead, extinct, and should be confined to the dustbin of history. This suit is an abuse of the process of court and is hereby struck out accordingly.”
With this latest ruling by Justice Ebong, legal experts believe that this marks the final chapter in what has been a long and futile legal battle. The case, which had been dismissed multiple times on factual and legal grounds, is now seen as completely resolved in favor of the defendants.
