BREAKING: Abuja Court Dismisses Femi Falana’s Fraud Case Against Zinox, Others
A High Court in the Bwari Division of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has dismissed a fraud case against Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of Zinox Technologies, his wife Chioma Ekeh, and eleven other individuals.
Justice Akpan Okon Ebong determined that the allegations in Suit No CR/985/2024 represented a significant misuse of the court’s process and warranted dismissal.
He stated, “I hereby dismiss it.”
Naija News reports that the case was initiated in November 2024 by Femi Falana (SAN), who was authorized by a fiat from the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to act against Ekeh and the twelve other defendants.
The additional defendants include 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 allowed Falana to refile and pursue a previous case, Charge No CR/827/2013, involving the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chris Ozims, the legal adviser for Zinox Technologies Limited, along with six others, at the request of the nominal complainant, Joseph Benjamin.
In the refiled Suit No CR/985/2024, Falana represented Benjamin, the Chief Executive Officer of Citadel Oracle Concept Limited, a computer firm based in Ibadan. He brought charges against Ekeh, nine other individuals, and three companies for allegedly misappropriating N162,247,513.80, which was payment for a laptop supply contract at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Headquarters, supplied by Technology Distribution Ltd (now TD Africa) on behalf of Citadel in 2012.
The judge criticized Falana for increasing the number of defendants from seven to thirteen. In his ruling on March 20, 2025, as documented in the certified true copy, Justice Akpan Ebong remarked, “The mere fact that a lawyer has been granted a fiat by the HAGF (Fagbemi) does not transform him into a Knight Errant, akin to Don Quixote, seeking out 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.”
“The Charge No. CR/827/2013 which he was asked to handle has just seven persons listed as defendants, whereas the instant charge filed by him has 13 defendants, almost double the number of persons he was authorised to prosecute,” the judge added.
“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.”
Justice Ebong remarked that none of the law enforcement agencies engaged in investigating the numerous petitions submitted by the nominal complainant have identified any validity in his claims against the defendants.
The judge expressed concern over what he characterized as attempts to sustain a campaign of persecution against the defendants.
