A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a fraud charge against Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of Zinox Technologies, his wife Chioma Ekeh, and 11 other individuals. The trial judge, Justice Akpan Okon Ebong, struck out the case filed by renowned lawyer Femi Falana SAN, who was acting on a fiat issued by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi SAN.
The other defendants in the case were Chris 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.
The charge, FCT/HC/CR/985/24, filed in November 2024, accused the defendants of diverting N162,247,513.80, which was payment for a laptop supply contract at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Headquarters. The contract, executed by Technology Distribution Ltd (now TD Africa), was in 2012 on behalf of Citadel Oracle Concept Limited, an Ibadan-based computer firm owned by Benjamin Joseph, the CEO of Citadel.
In his judgment on 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.”
Before delivering his ruling, Justice Ebong considered the outcomes of previous cases and petitions filed by Mr. Joseph, none of which had been in his favor. The judge pointed out that law enforcement agencies had found no merit in Mr. Joseph’s numerous petitions and allegations against the defendants. He also noted that when Mr. Joseph was called to prove his case before Justice Danlami Senchi, he failed to appear in court. “One then wonders on what premise he wants to maintain this campaign of persecution against the defendants,” Justice Ebong remarked.
Past judgments had established that Ekeh and the others were victims of a failed money diversion scheme orchestrated by Mr. Joseph and Citadel.
Following the ruling, Chris Ozims, one of the defendants and a lawyer, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, 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.” He added that the judgment aligned with previous rulings in favor of the defendants.
Matthew Burkaa SAN, the chief counsel for the defendants, described the judgment as a victory for integrity and the rule of law.
Court documents revealed that Falana’s suit was based on the same claims that several courts had previously dismissed as false and baseless.
