Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday held that the bench warrant issued against Ezekiel Onyedikachi (A.K.A. Eezeetee), the manager of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo, over alleged $345,000 fraud, subsists.

The court had issued the bench warrant on January 16, after

the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission sought a court to arrest Onyedikachi over allegations of financial mismanagement, including diverting royalties from Chinwo’s digital platforms and events.

The case was then adjourned till January 24 for his arraignment.
But when the case came up, the defendant’s counsel, Dr Monday Ubani (SAN), argued that the arrest warrant was unjustified.

He claimed that the matter was a contractual dispute, not a criminal one, and informed the court that Onyedikachi had filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the EFCC before another court to stop his arrest.

Ubani also told the court that his client had filed a preliminary objection to the charge against him and urged the court to vacate the earlier arrest warrant issued against him.

He also told the court that his client had not been served with any charge by the EFCC.

Responding, the EFCC counsel, Bilikisu Buhari, told the court that the commission had been unable to arrest the defendant since the court ordered his arrest.

She requested the court’s permission to serve the charge on Onyedikachi’s lawyer, Ubani, in the open court.

Ubani, who received the charges on behalf of his client, however, prayed to the court for a date to hear the preliminary objection against the fraud allegation.

After listening to the arguments of both counsels, Justice Owoeye “Said in the light of the defendant’s lawyer having accepted service of the charges and the preliminary objection against the charge, the court would adjourn to decide on the pending application.”

Consequently, the judge adjourned the case to February 14, 2025, for possible arraignment and hearing of pending applications before the court, but on February 14, the case didn’t go on as it didn’t sit.

At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, Ubani told the court that Onyedikachi was not in court as he had a domestic accident.


But the EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, said the day’s business was the defendant’s arraignment.

Ubani objected to Onyedikachi’s arraignment, saying, “We are raising an objection to the charge; his plea can only be taken if it is proper.”




https://punchng.com/bench-warrant-issued-against-singer-mercy-chinwos-manager-subsists-court/