Alleged Money Laundering: EFCC arraigns singer’s ex-manager

Annabel Adaeze

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, has arraigned a music promoter,  Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu ThankGod (a.k.a Eezee Tee) before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The former manager,  alongside his company, Eezee Global Concepts Limited, is standing trial on an amended seven-count charge bordering on alleged foreign exchange malpractice and money laundering to the tune of $397,106.

This was contained in a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the late hours of Wednesday.

The EFCC had previously accused him of misappropriating proceeds belonging to Chinwo.

The counts were, however, dropped for counts bordering on regulatory breaches concerning foreign exchange transactions and failure to report company earnings.

 

The counts read, “That you, EZEKIEL ONYEDIKACHUWU THANKGOD and EEZEE GLOBAL CONCEPTS LIMITED, sometime in June 2023 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, not being an authorized buyer of foreign exchange currency appointed by the Central Bank of Nigeria under Section 5(1) of Foreign Exchange Monitoring and Miscellaneous (Provisions) Act CAP F34 LFN 2004 negotiated a foreign exchange transaction to wit: the naira equivalent of the sum of $52,895.00 with Mr. Oladotun Olaobaju Mureke and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 5 and 29(1)(c) of the Foreign Exchange Monitoring and Miscellaneous (Provisions) Act Cap F34 LFN 2004 and punishable under Section 29(2) of the same Act.”

He pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

In view of his plea,  prosecution counsel, Bilkisu Buhari-Bala, prayed for a trial date and also asked that the defendant be remanded in a Correctional Centre.

The defence counsel, Chikaozolu Ojukwu SAN, however, prayed that his client be granted bail “in the most liberal terms” and be released to him, if granted bail. 

Responding, Buhari-Bala told the court that the prosecution filed a 16-paragraph counter-affidavit, deposed to by Mohammed Adamu,  an Investigator with the EFCC, on the 4th of March 2025, urging the court to refuse the prayers of the defence.

She argued that the defendant refused to accept service on several occasions and that all efforts to have him report himself at the EFCC office proved abortive. 

She, therefore, opposed the release of the defendant to his counsel, adding that the music promoter, who has been on an administrative bail granted him by the Commission, had not been honouring further invitations.

Justice Aneke adjourned ruling on the bail application till May 9, 2025, and released the defendant to his counsel.