A fraud case brought against the Chairman of Zinox Technologies, Leo Stan Ekeh; his wife, Chioma Ekeh; and 11 others by Rights Activist, Femi Falana has been dismissed by a
High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja in the Bwara Division presided over by Justice Akpan Okon Ebong.
Delivering judgement on the case filed in November 2024 by Femi Falana (SAN) who acted on a fiat donated to him by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), against the chairman of Zinox Technologies and 12 others, Justice Ebong ruled that the charge in Suit No CR/985/2024 “constitutes a gross abuse of court process and is liable to dismissal.
The other defendants in the case are Chris Ozims, Oyebode Folashade, Charles Adigwe, Obilo Onuoha, Agartha Ukoha, Anya Anya, Femi Dosumu, Nnenna Kalu, Admas Digital Technologies Limited, Technology Distributions Limited and Zinox Technologies Limited.
The fiat empowered Falana to refile and prosecute a previous case with Charge No CR/827/2013 between the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and the legal adviser of Zinox Technologies Limited, Chris Ozims; and six others at the expense of the nominal complainant, Joseph Benjamin, as requested.
However, in the Suit No CR/985/2024 refiled by Falana, on behalf of his client, Benjamin, the Chief Executive Officer of Citadel Oracle Concept Limited, an Ibadan-based computer firm, filed charges against Ekeh, nine other individuals and three companies before the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly diverting N162,247,513.80 being payment for laptop supply contract at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Headquarters which Technology Distribution Ltd (now TD Africa) supplied on behalf of Citadel in 2012.
The judge faulted Falana for expanding the defendants in the case from seven to 13.
According to the certified true copy of the March 20, 2025, ruling, Justice Akpan Ebong noted, “The mere fact that a lawyer has been granted a fiat by the HAGF (Fagbemi) will not turn him into a Knight Errant, like Don Quixote, going everywhere looking for suspected criminals to prosecute.”
The judge ruled that the fiat empowered Falana to refile and prosecute the case and “it does not include the power to amend, add to or substitute the charge.”
Justice Ebong also pointed out that none of the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation of the nominal complainant’s numerous petitions has found merit in any of his allegations against the defendants.
The judge therefore took an exception to what he termed as efforts to maintain a campaign of persecution against the defendants.
