Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Lagos has scheduled February 14, 2025, for the potential arraignment of Ezekiel Thankgod, the former manager of Nigerian gospel artist Mercy Chinwo, in connection with an alleged $345,000 fraud case.

On January 16, 2025, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) sought Ezekiel’s arrest due to claims of financial mismanagement, which included the diversion of royalties from Chinwo’s digital platforms and events.

Bilikisu Buhari, counsel for the EFCC, stated that Ezekiel allegedly misappropriated funds by not remitting Chinwo’s share of the earnings.

During the proceedings on Friday, Ezekiel’s attorney, Monday Ubani, SAN, contended that the arrest warrant was unwarranted. He argued that the issue at hand was a contractual matter rather than a criminal one and informed the court that Ezekiel had initiated a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the EFCC in a different court to prevent his arrest.

Ubani also indicated that his client had submitted a preliminary objection to the charges and requested the court to annul the previously issued arrest warrant. He further noted that Ezekiel had not received any formal charges from the EFCC.

In response, the EFCC counsel informed the court that they had been unable to execute the arrest since the court had mandated it. She sought the court's permission to serve the charges to Ezekiel’s attorney in open court, suggesting that the arrest warrant might no longer be necessary since Ubani had accepted the charges on behalf of his client.

Ubani, having accepted the charges, requested a date for the court to hear the preliminary objection regarding the fraud allegations. After considering the arguments from both sides, Justice Owoeye remarked that, given the acceptance of service of the charges and the preliminary objection, the court would adjourn to deliberate on the pending application.

The judge has therefore postponed the case until February 14, 2025, to allow for a potential arraignment and the consideration of outstanding applications before the court.