FORMER MANAGER OF GOSPEL ARTISTE MERCY CHINWO ARRAIGNED FOR ALLEGED $397,000 FRAUD
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The former manager of renowned gospel artiste Mercy Chinwo, Ezekiel ThankGod, popularly known as Eezee Tee, has been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, over allegations of foreign exchange fraud totaling $397,106.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought a seven-count charge against ThankGod and his company, EEZEE GLOBAL CONCEPTS LIMITED. He pleaded not guilty before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke.
According to the EFCC, the alleged offences span between 2021 and 2024. In the first three counts, the Commission accused the defendants of negotiating foreign exchange deals totaling $141,670 without being licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria. These actions, the EFCC said, contravene Sections 5 and 29(1)(c) of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act and are punishable under Section 29(2) of the same law.
Count four alleges that in October 2022, ThankGod and his company engaged in a forex transaction outside the official market — a violation of the National Economic Intelligence Committee (Establishment, Etc.) Act of 1994.
Further charges relate to alleged breaches of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The EFCC said the defendants failed to declare their company’s activities to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) between 2022 and 2024, during which $255,436 was deposited into the company’s account.
At the hearing, lead defence counsel, Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), urged the court to grant bail, stating that the matter stemmed from a contractual disagreement and that settlement talks were ongoing between the defendant, the EFCC, and Mercy Chinwo. He pleaded that the defendant be released to his custody pending the fulfillment of the bail terms.
However, EFCC counsel, Bilikisu Buhari-Bala, opposed the application, arguing that the defendant had previously failed to respond to EFCC invitations while on administrative bail.
Justice Aneke adjourned the ruling on the bail application to Friday, May 9. He temporarily released the defendant to his counsel’s custody on the condition that he must appear in court on the next date.
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