Sahara Reporters has taken to it’s official X handle and announced that, In a dramatic twist that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s gospel music scene, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu ThankGod, better known as EeZeeTee, the former manager of celebrated gospel singer Mercy Chinwo, has been granted bail to the tune of ₦20 million by the Federal High Court in Lagos over allegations of a staggering $397,106 foreign exchange fraud.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, presiding over the high-profile case, ruled that the bail must be backed by a surety residing in Lagos and possessing a landed property of equivalent value. The court has given EeZeeTee a 72-hour window to fulfill these conditions or risk remand. Pending fulfillment, he was temporarily released to his legal counsel, Mr. Ojukwu Chikaosolu.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is spearheading the prosecution, initially slammed the music promoter with 14 counts of fraudulent financial dealings. These were later streamlined into a seven-count amended charge involving unlicensed foreign exchange transactions and money laundering.
According to EFCC prosecutor, Bilikisu Buhari-Bala, the case centers on allegations that in June 2023, EeZeeTee illegally negotiated a foreign exchange deal worth $52,895 with one Mr. Oladotun Olaobaju Mureke—without authorization from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“This act contravenes Sections 5 and 29(1)(c) of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Cap F34, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004,” Buhari-Bala asserted, noting that the alleged crime is punishable under Section 29(2) of the same Act.
One particularly damning charge alleges that EeZeeTee, along with his company, EeZee Global Concepts Limited, failed to declare transactions totaling $137,383—funds paid into the company’s Zenith Bank account in 2024—to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML), as required by law. This contravenes Sections 6(1)(a) and 19(1)(f) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The amended charge sheet includes accusations of operating as an unauthorized foreign exchange dealer and concealing proceeds suspected to be linked to money laundering activities.
The defendant, who once served as the driving force behind Mercy Chinwo’s meteoric rise in gospel music, has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The case, originally before Justice Owoeye, was reassigned to Justice Aneke following procedural changes. The next court date has been set for June 20, 2025, when trial proceedings will officially commence.
As the legal storm brews, the gospel industry watches with bated breath, stunned by the unraveling saga of one of its most prominent behind-the-scenes figures now caught in the crosshairs of Nigeria’s anti-graft war.
PIONEER NEWS 