LunagisthubNigerian High Court Refuses Indefinite Adjournment in N170 Million FIRS Contract Fraud Case
A Lagos High Court has rejected an application for indefinite adjournment in a long-standing civil suit involving Citadel Oracle Concept Limited and Zinox Limited, among others, over a N170 million Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) contract fraud case.
Case Background
The case revolves around allegations of conspiracy, forgery, and fraud related to a contract awarded to Citadel Oracle Concept Limited by FIRS in 2012 for the supply of laptop computers. The company’s Managing Director, Benjamin Joseph, alleged that senior officials of Zinox Technologies Limited and its subsidiary, Technology Distributions Limited, conspired to hijack and execute the contract, causing a loss of N170.3 million.
Court Ruling
Justice T.B. Sunmonu ruled on March 27, 2025, that the case would proceed on April 17 and April 29, 2025, despite the defendants’ invocation of a previous N20 million judgment awarded to them in a related criminal case. The court declined to adjourn the case indefinitely, paving the way for the trial to continue.
Related Development
In a related development, the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, had directed the withdrawal of a one-count charge of false petitioning against Benjamin Joseph, citing malicious prosecution and gross oppression. The case has been ongoing since 2016, with various twists and turns, including attempts by the police to continue prosecution despite the AGF’s directive to withdraw the case .
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