Friday, May 9, 2025 - The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, 7 May 2025, arraigned popular music promoter Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu ThankGod, popularly known as Eezee Tee, before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.
ThankGod, alongside his company, Eezee Global Concepts
Limited, is facing a refiled seven-count amended charge bordering on alleged
foreign exchange violations and money laundering amounting to $397,106.
The case, which initially commenced before Justice Owoeye of
the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, was reassigned to Justice Aneke for further
proceedings.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu
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 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 reads: “That you, Ezekiel Onyedikachuwu
Thankgod and Eezee Global Concepts Limited, sometime in 2024 Lagos, 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 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.”
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to all charges when they
were read out in court.
Following the plea, prosecuting counsel Bilkisu Buhari-Bala
requested the court to fix a date for trial and urged that the defendant be
remanded in a correctional centre.
However, defence counsel Chikaozolu Ojukwu, SAN, appealed to
the court to grant his client bail on “the most liberal terms” and to permit
him to remain in his custody pending trial.
Buhari-Bala informed the court that the prosecution had
filed a 16-paragraph counter-affidavit, sworn by EFCC investigator Mohammed
Adamu on 4 March 2025, opposing the bail application.
She noted that the defendant had evaded service on several
occasions and had consistently failed to respond to invitations from the
commission, despite having been granted administrative bail.
Consequently, she urged the court not to grant the request
for the defendant’s release to his counsel.
Justice Aneke adjourned ruling on the bail application until
9 May 2025 and, in the interim, released the defendant into the custody of his
lawyer.
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