By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned popular music promoter, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu ThankGod, popularly known as Eezee Tee, alongside his company, Eezee Global Concepts Limited, before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, over allegations of foreign exchange fraud and money laundering totalling $397,106.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Commission on its official X handle on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the EFCC, through its Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, presented an amended seven-count charge against the defendant before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke. The charges include foreign exchange malpractice and failure to comply with statutory anti-money laundering regulations.
One of the counts reads: “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 authorised 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 (Fifty Two Thousand, Eight Hundred Ninety Five ) 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.”
Another count accuses the music promoter and his firm of failing to declare financial activities involving $137,383 paid into the company’s Zenith Bank account in 2024, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Another count reads: “That you, EZEKIEL ONYEDIKACHUWU THANKGOD and EEZEE GLOBAL CONCEPTS LIMITED, sometime in 2024 Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to submit to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering a declaration of your activities of the said company within which period the total sum of $137,383 (One Hundred and Thirty Seven Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighty Three United States Dollars) paid into EEZEE CONCEPTS LIMITED account number 5070522520 domiciled in Zenith Bank, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 6(1) (a),19(1)(f) of the Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section19 (2)(b) of the same Act.”
Eezee Tee pleaded not guilty to all charges. In response, EFCC counsel Bilkisu Buhari-Bala requested a trial date and asked that the defendant be remanded in a correctional facility, stating his repeated failure to honour EFCC invitations and refusal to accept service.
However, defence counsel Chikaozolu Ojukwu (SAN) appealed for bail on liberal terms and urged the court to release the defendant into his custody pending the bail ruling.
Justice Aneke adjourned ruling on the bail application to May 9, 2025, but temporarily released the defendant to his lawyer.
