AGF Withdraws Prosecution Authorization Against Zinox Chairman Over 13-Year-Old Business Dispute
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has formally revoked the fiat previously granted to prosecute the Chairman of Zinox Technologies, Mr. Stan Ekeh, along with 12 others, in a longstanding legal matter stemming from a 13-year-old transaction.
The case originated from a business relationship in 2011 between Citadel Oracle Concept Limited, a computer firm based in Ibadan and owned by Mr. Benjamin Joseph, and Technology Distributions Limited.
The arrangement involved the supply of computers to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). In the transaction, Technology Distributions fully extended credit to Citadel Oracle Concept, and neither Zinox Technologies nor its chairman, Mr. Ekeh, was involved in the deal.
In a letter dated May 2, 2025, the AGF directed the withdrawal of Charge No. FCT/HC/CR/985/2024 (FRN v. Leo Stan Ekeh & 12 Others). The letter, issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of the Federation, Mr. M. Abubakar, stated that the fiat was withdrawn “in the interest of justice” and emphasized that it should not have been issued in the first place.
Titled “Withdrawal of Authorization Under Section 174 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended),” the communication also referenced a related case—FRN v. Chris Eze Ozims & 6 Others (Charge No: CR/827/2013)—advising that the fiat granted on December 20, 2023, in that matter also be revoked.
A subsequent letter dated May 6, 2025, and addressed to the legal representatives of the defendants, confirmed the AGF’s receipt of several petitions calling for the withdrawal of the fiat. Following a detailed review of the case’s background and legal circumstances, the AGF concluded that the authorization was no longer valid.
This development echoes a similar action taken by former Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami, SAN, who on October 28, 2022, withdrew a previously issued fiat relating to the same dispute. The charges that had been brought under that earlier fiat were later struck out by Justices Christopher Oba and Ade Adepoju of the FCT High Court.
Despite these rulings, the complainant pursued a fresh case under Charge No. FCT/HC/CR/985/2024, filed in November 2024. However, on March 20, 2025, Justice Akpan Ebong dismissed the case, describing it as a “gross abuse of court process.” In his certified judgment, Justice Ebong observed that none of the complainant’s numerous petitions had been found to have merit by any law enforcement agency. He further criticized the complainant for failing to appear in court to support his claims, describing the case as a clear attempt at persecuting the defendants.
Previous court decisions had already established that Mr. Ekeh and the other accused individuals were, in fact, victims of a fraudulent scheme orchestrated by Mr. Joseph and Citadel Oracle Concept Limited. The latest dismissed charge marked the third attempt to prosecute the same allegations.
An earlier version of the case—Charge No. CR/469/2022—was thrown out by Justice Oba on November 8, 2022, following the revocation of the AGF’s fiat. Justice Oba ruled that the prosecution lacked the legal authority to proceed in the absence of the AGF’s endorsement.
Undeterred, the complainant refiled the case before Justice Ade Adepoju of the FCT High Court. That case was also dismissed on March 19, 2024. In his ruling, Justice Adepoju declared the matter to be “dead, extinct, and fit for the dustbin of history,” denouncing it as another abuse of judicial process.
Notably, police investigations conducted as far back as 2013 had concluded that Mr. Joseph had supplied false information. As a result, he was charged by the Inspector General of Police for making false statements under Charge No. CR/216/16.
With the latest withdrawal of the prosecution fiat and multiple judicial dismissals, the matter appears to have been conclusively resolved in favor of Mr. Ekeh and the other accused individuals.