In a dramatic twist in the legal saga involving gospel music executive Ezekiel Onyedikachi, popularly known as EeZeeTee, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dropped initial allegations of fraudulent diversion of singer Mercy Chinwo’s earnings and instead arraigned him on charges relating to regulatory breaches and foreign exchange infractions.
The Chief Executive Officer of EeZee Global Concept Ltd was brought before the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday under an amended eight-count charge, focusing on alleged non-disclosure of financial transactions and unauthorized forex dealings between 2022 and 2023.
According to the EFCC, EeZeeTee and his company received over $255,000 in foreign transfers within the period, failing to report the transactions to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) as required by law. One of the charges accuses him of negotiating a forex transaction involving $52,895 with one Oladotun Mureke without authorization from the Central Bank of Nigeria, while another cites a similar deal involving $18,775 with Gift Ugochi Christopher.
Upon arraignment, EeZeeTee pleaded not guilty to all charges.
His lead counsel, Chief Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), informed the court that a bail application had been filed and that discussions were ongoing to resolve the matter out of court. However, EFCC counsel Bilikisu Buhari opposed the bail, requesting the defendant be remanded.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke adjourned ruling on the bail application to May 9, 2025, but allowed the defendant to be released temporarily into the custody of his counsel.
Tensions flared shortly after the proceedings when EFCC operatives attempted to rearrest EeZeeTee at the court’s exit, but the situation was swiftly deescalated by a senior agency official, allowing him to leave without further incident.
The development marks a significant shift in the high-profile case, originally centered around Mercy Chinwo’s earnings, now redirected toward compliance violations and foreign currency dealings.
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