The Federal High Court, Lagos, on Friday, fixed February 14, 2024, for the arraignment of embattled music producer Ezekiel Onyedikachuwu, a.k.a. Thankgod.

The court set the date after hearing his preliminary objection seeking to stop the arraignment for alleged fraud.

Onyedikachuwu, a former manager of gospel artiste Mercy Chinwo, is the defendant in a three-count charge bordering on money laundering and diversion of funds filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

At the resumption of proceedings on Friday before Justice Alexander Owoeye, the defendant’s counsel, Mr Monday Ubani (SAN), informed the court that he had filed a motion to vacate the arrest warrant earlier obtained by the EFCC.

However, the EFCC’s counsel, Bilkisu Buhari-Bala, informed Justice Owoeye that the Commission had been searching for the defendant to serve the charge on him, which was the basis for the court-issued warrant of arrest.

She then sought the court’s approval to serve the defendant’s charge through his counsel.

Following the court’s approval, Buhari-Bala served the charge on Onyedikachuwu via Ubani.

One of the counts read: “That you, Ezekiel Onyedikachuwu Thankgod, and Eezee Global Concepts Limited, sometime in 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, directly retained the sum of $260,494 (Two Hundred and Sixty Thousand Four Hundred and Ninety-Four USD) in

Eezee Global Ministry Zenith Bank Plc account number, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity, to wit: dishonest conversion of the said sum, property of Mercy Chinwo and Judith Kanayo, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

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