The Federal High Court in Lagos’ Justice Alexander Owoeye set February 14, 2025, as the date for the potential arraignment of Ezekiel Thankgod, the former manager of Nigerian gospel singer Mercy Chinwo, in connection with a $345,000 fraud charge.
On January 16, 2025, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission filed a request for Ezekiel’s arrest on charges of financial mismanagement, which included allegedly stealing revenues from Chinwo’s events and digital platforms.
Bilikisu Buhari, the lawyer for the EFCC, said that Ezekiel embezzled the money by neglecting to send Chinwo’s portion of the profits.
However, Monday Ubani, SAN, Ezekiel’s attorney, said that the arrest warrant was unwarranted when the case was heard on Friday.
He told the court that Ezekiel had filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the EFCC before another court to prevent his arrest, and that the issue was a contractual disagreement rather than a criminal one.
A preliminary objection to the charge against him was also filed by his client, Ubani informed the court, and he asked the court to revoke the previous arrest order that had been obtained against him.
Additionally, he informed the court that his client had not received any charges from the EFCC.
In response, the EFCC attorney informed the judge that while the court had ordered the defendant’s arrest, the commission had been unable to make the arrest.
In addition to noting that there might not be a need for an arrest warrant because Ubani has accepted the charge on behalf of his client, she asked the court for permission to serve Ezekiel’s attorney with the charge in public.
However, after receiving the charges on behalf of his client, Ubani asked the court to set a date for hearing the preliminary objection to the charge of fraud.
After hearing both sides’ arguments, Justice Owoeye declared, “The court would adjourn to decide on the pending application in light of the defendant’s lawyer accepting service of the charges and the preliminary objection against the charge.”
In order to allow for a potential arraignment and the hearing of any outstanding applications, the judge postponed the case to February 14, 2025.
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