₦170.3M Fraud: Stank Ekeh’s Series of Lies Against My Company – Benjamin Joseph

By Nafisat Bello

The Chief Executive Officer and the Managing Director of CITADEL Oracle Concepts Limited, Benjamin Joseph, has accused the Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, of spreading series of falsehood against him and his company as part of his ongoing trial for the ₦170.3million fraud.

Mr. Benjamin who briefed Judiciary correspondents in Abuja on Monday said he is one of the several victims of Ekeh’s alleged fraud and treachery but he has been wrongly labeled a blackmailer by Ekeh and his cohorts in authority.

He said what he and his company have gone through are as a result of the impunity of thieves, adding that Ekeh seems to have official collaborators in Judiciary and Police who are aiding him (Ekeh) to deny him (Benjamin) justice.

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“We are compelled to call this briefing following a series of concocted lies and distorted facts sponsored in the media by the Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, and his agents.

“Ordinarily, I have always resisted the temptation of joining issues with Mr Ekeh and Zinox in the media over this matter that has lingered for over eight years. I chose to allow the wheel of justice, which often grinds slowly, to take its course through the court process, though the experience so far has been terribly frustrating.

“We will not give up, because of our deep conviction that the triumph of falsehood over truth, or darkness over light, is only temporary. At the fullness of time, we know truth and light will ultimately prevail.”

“Mr Ekeh and Zinox have laboured hard to hoodwink the public through misinformation in the media into believing that my case against them is false and an attempt to blackmail for extortion. Nothing can be farther from the truth than these lies from the pit of hell

“Another fat lie being bandied about by Mr. Ekeh and Zinox is that there is no ongoing prosecution against them by the Attorney-General, and that the prosecution is against me.

“Mr. Ekeh claimed the company was among other 13 other TD Africa extended credits to finance the supply of laptops to the FIRS, and that it was an attempt to divert TD’s money, but was resisted by Princess Kama.

“This is a lie only capable of being told by a compulsive liar with serious character deficiency. Mr. Ekeh has always claimed that he entered agreement with my company, but when asked to produce the said agreement he filed an unexpected agreement with a letter sent to his foot soldier and member of the syndicate Chief Onny Igbokwe dated 17th January, 2013,” he alleged.

Mr. Benjamin noted that despite all the desperate efforts to sustain the lie in the police, Ministry of Justice, EFCC, ICPC the courts and the media, “my case still merits the attention of men of conscience like the AGF who desire to know the truth.”

Benjamin added that the long-drawn matter has taken a huge toll on his family, personal finances and the wellbeing of his company.

“That my business is still standing is the grace of God and the hard work, based on the strong foundation laid in the past 37 years. But the high toll that the wickedness of these evil men has afflicted on my business is enormous and unimaginable.

“Before this case, we operated about 11 outlets across Oshogbo, Ekiti, Ibadan, Lagos and Illorin, with over 100 staff members. Today, we have folded up in nine outlets, with less than 30 staff members on our payroll.

“To defend myself in the fathom case by the police, I have so far made almost 400 trips from Ibadan to Abuja for the past 75 months. Some of the trips, I had to stay for days in a hotel at my personal and company expense.

“I cannot quantify, in terms of monetary value, how much I have lost personally and the company. I have not been able to do any business with Citadel Oracle Concept Limited since 2013, because the FIRS has refused to issue us with the tax clearance certificate.

“Not to mention the threat to my life and my family by agents of the suspects who have continued to harass us with guns at every turn. My wife was even beaten and striped naked in the streets of Ibadan. All my outlets in Ibadan were locked up by their gun welding uniformed agents, to harness me into giving up in my case” Mr Benjamin lamented.