Mercy Chinwo: Manager breaks silence

• EFCC forced me to transfer $240,000 in custody

• Singer failed to 3rd album

 

Admin I Friday, January 24, 2025

 

IKOYI, Lagos – Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, the embattled Manager of renowned gospel singer Mercy Chinwo has broken his silence.

The Chief Executive Officer EeZee Concept said Mercy Chinwo breached clause in her music contract by failing to deliver a third album.

Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu who spoke at the Federal High Court in IKOYI, Lagos said officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC forced him to transfer the sum of $240,000 to Mercy Chinwo while in their custody.

Recall that Mercy Chinwo had accused him of illegally diverting $345,000.

He was accused of receiving royalties from all digital platforms and events without informing the singer and diverting $345,000 without giving Mercy Chinwo her share.

The music manager is accused of the illegal conversion of 443,371 dollars Into his company’s bank account which are said to be royalties of two gospel musicians who were formerly under his music label, mercy chinwo and Judith Kanayo a.k.a. JudiKay.

The manager is accused of receiving royalties from all digital platforms and events without informing the singer and for diverting $345,000 USD without giving the gospel singer her share.

But today Friday, when the matter resumed for hearing before  Justice Alexander Owoeye, the defendant was absent.

His lead counsel, Monday ubani (SAN) informed justice owoeye that the defense had filed two applications, one is seeking to set aside the warrant of arrest on the basis that the court heard the one-sided arguments of the EFCC without hearing from the defence, while the other motion is challenging the criminal charge by way of a preliminary objection on the grounds that the matter is a purely civil case, the defence wants the court to make a pronouncement on it’s applications before the defendant is put in the dock to take his plea.

“We have seen the EFCC’s operatives hovering around the court premises waiting to arrest the defendant, but they must be civil as they are using tax payers money to carry out their duties. We also want the court to restrain the EFCC from arresting the defendant until our application to set aside the warrant of arrest is determined by the court. No charge has been served on us. we also have a suit seeking the enforcement of the defendant’s fundamental human rights in another court and the EFCC has been evading service, threatening to shoot anyone. They are here in court and we have even gone on to get an order for substituted service.”

But the EFCC counsel, Bilikisu Buhari says the agency just received the court processes and needs time to respond to them. She also told the court that the defendants applications are an attempt to vacate a subsisting court order and that
the court cannot assume jurisdiction in the case until the defendant is arraigned.

The EFCC went on to deny the allegations of evading service of the court processes in the civil case and threatening to shoot. the prosecutor said it was willing to apply for the court to vacate the arrest warrant on the defendant if his counsel accepts the criminal charged sheet on his behalf.

“We have been unable to serve the defendant but the counsel should undertake to accept the charge for him and then, we will apply to have the warrant of arrest vacated.”

After hearing both sides, the court granted the EFCC’s request for the defense counsel to receive the charge summons on the defendant’s behalf. Mr Ubani received the documents in open court, and the case was adjourned till Feb. 14 for further proceedings.