The latest is the dismissal of the suit by Justice Akpan Okon Ebong of the FCT High Court who struck out the case filed by Mr. Femi Falana SAN, purporting to act on a fiat donated to him by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. 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 No. FCT/HC/CR/985/24 filed in November 2024, Falana on behalf of his client, Benjamin Joseph, the CEO of Citadel Oracle Concept Limited, an Ibadan-based computer firm, filed charges against Ekeh, 9 other individuals and 3 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), the biggest tech equipment distributor in Sub Saharan Africa supplied on behalf of Citadel in 2012.

However, in the certified true copy of the judgment dated March 20, 2025, Justice Ebong ruled as follows: “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 arriving at his judgment which has put a final nail on the coffin of a case that other courts had dismissed in the past as dead on arrival, Justice Ebong had considered the outcome of previous cases and petitions filed by Mr. Joseph none of which was in his favour.
Justice Ebong said: “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.”

Previous judgments on the matter had established that rather than being the culprit, Ekeh and the 12 others were actually the victims of a failed money diversion scheme plotted by Mr. Joseph and Citadel.
When contacted, one of the defendants, Mr. Chris Eze Ozims, a lawyer, said: “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 asserted that the judgment of Justice Ebong was consistent with the position of the defendants and in tandem with the ruling of other judges who had earlier adjudicated on the same matter in the past.
Chief counsel to the defendants, Mr. Matthew Burkaa SAN, described the judgment as victory for integrity and the rule of law.
Court papers showed that Falana’s suit was based on the same claims which various courts had in the past dismissed as falsehood and baseless. The case arose from a contract between Citadel and Technology Distributions Limited over the supply of computers to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), a project fully funded by Technology Distributions and has no bearing whatsoever with Zinox and its promoter, Mr Leo Stan Ekeh.

It will be recalled that Mr. Joseph had lost the case and its adjunct suits at different courts in the past. In his petition to the police in 2013, it was discovered by police authorities that Mr. Joseph provided false information to the police, prompting the Inspector General of Police to charge him for false information in charge no.CR/216/16.

In another case filed by the EFCC at his instance against his partner, Princess Kama, in charge no. FCT/HC/CR/244/2018,  Honorable Justice Danlami Z. Senchi of the FCT High Court (as he then was), dismissed as false all the allegations made by Benjamin Joseph, and imposed the sum of N20 million as damages against him for false petitioning in relation to these same allegations.

Earlier court papers showed that Joseph had in his statement on oath in suit No:LD/4335/2014 in the High Court of Justice, Lagos State, dated 28 June, 2019 averred  that his company, Citadel, did not execute any contract with FIRS and that he was not aware that a contract was awarded to Citadel.

In his deposition under oath, Joseph claimed that Citadel “did not at any time execute any contract for the FIRS and neither did the 2nd defendant (Princess O. Kama) who is its agent in respect of the contract it bidded for with the FIRS deliver/release any documents to the Claimant (Citadel) indicating that the contract it bidded for or any other contract was awarded to it by the FIRS or any other body.”
However, a letter from the FIRS addressed to the chamber of Afe Babalola & Co dated 11 February 2014 (FIRS/PD/GDS/2559) and signed by one Idrissa Kogo, Head Legal Department,

stated: “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 13th December 2012 to deal with Princess O. Kama (Your client’s agent) in relation to the contract. Through three separate letters dated 20th December 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.

The FIRS letter was a response to inquiry by Afe Babalola Chamber, lawyers to Citadel Oracle Concept Ltd and its MD, Mr. Benjamin Joseph, at that time.

The current charges filed by Falana on the basis of a fiat from the Attorney General is the third in a row as Mr Joseph had earlier filed charge no.CR/469/2022, which was struck out by Honorable Justice C. O. Oba of the FCT High Court, by an order dated 8th November 2022.

Determined to push through his case, Mr Joseph  filed the same charges before Honorable Justice A. S. Adepoju of the FCT High Court, and the charges were, once  again, struck out by the Honorable Court on 19th March 2024, with Honorable Justice Adepoju holding that: “This matter was brought in dead, extinct and should be confined into 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.”

Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Brig.-Gen. Dahiru Abdulsalam (Rtd), stated this after the state security council meeting, chaired by Deputy Governor Alhaji Idi Gubana in Damaturu on Wednesday.

Abdulsalam assured residents that no such threat exists and urged them to continue their normal activities without fear.

“The government, in collaboration with security agencies, remains committed to safeguarding all communities.

“There is no credible intelligence suggesting that Boko Haram has issued any eviction notice to residents of Gujba or any other part of the state,” he said.

The newly appointed Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Osun, reaffirmed security agencies’ commitment to maintaining peace and order during and beyond the festive period.

“We have reviewed the state’s security architecture and put measures in place to ensure a peaceful Eid-el-Fitr celebration.

“We urge parents and guardians to monitor their children and discourage reckless behaviour,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the security council commended traditional rulers and community leaders for their roles in conflict resolution and fostering peace. (NAN)

This, the upper chamber said, was with the view to ensuring that pricing remained fair and affordable for all Nigerians.

The senate’s resolution was sequel to a motion sponsored by Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC-Cross River), at plenary on Wednesday.

The motion is with the title: “Urgent Need to Address the Increased Cost of Data Services in Nigeria”.

Moving the motion, Ekpenyong said that telecommunications providers in Nigeria had recently increased the cost of data services by as much as 200 per cent.

“This move has placed significant financial strain on millions of Nigerians, especially young people who rely on the Internet for their livelihood.

“Young Nigerians have embraced the digital economy, leveraging the Internet for various income-generating activities, including freelancing and remote work, digital marketing and social media management,” he said.

The lawmaker further said fibre-optic Internet services remained unaffordable for the average young Nigerian, leaving them dependent on mobile telecommunications companies for Internet access.

“The sudden and substantial increase in data cost threatens their economic survival and limits access to critical digital services,” he said.

In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said the motion, when implemented, would assist young entrepreneurs.

Akpabio said the motion would not only enable them to remain in business but ensure they had affordable prices that would also generate revenue and profits for them.

The upper chamber also resolved to call on the ministry to develop a policy framework for affordable Internet services in Nigeria.

The senate said that there was a need for the Federal Government to establish and support tech hubs across the country, providing free or subsidised Internet access to young entrepreneurs, students and innovators.

The upper chamber also mandated its Committee on Communications, to conduct an investigation into the factors driving the high cost of data and proffer solutions for a sustainable and business-friendly telecommunications sector. (NAN)