In a surprising development at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, January 24, 2025, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officially withdrew its arrest warrant for Ezekiel Onyedikachi, also known as EeZee Tee, the owner of EeZee Conceptz, the former record label of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo.
The decision followed an ongoing legal dispute between Chinwo and EeZee Tee over financial disagreements tied to a 50/50 gross revenue-sharing arrangement. EeZee Conceptz claimed it had paid Chinwo $625,000.
During Friday's court session, Justice Alexander Owoeye, who presided over the case, did not make any direct statements about the financial conflict. However, after reviewing the facts, EFCC's lead counsel, Bilikisu Buhari, requested the formal withdrawal of the arrest warrant.
EeZee Tee’s lawyer, Onyekachi Ubani (SAN), argued that the EFCC had overstepped by obtaining the arrest warrant, asserting that the matter was a civil contract dispute, not a criminal case. Ubani further noted that his client had already filed a fundamental human rights suit in another court to stop the arrest and had raised preliminary objections to the charges.
Speaking outside the court, another member of EeZee Tee's legal team, Maxwell Opara, explained, "The EFCC told the court our client avoided service and fled from arrest, which led to the original warrant. We filed the necessary papers to have that order overturned, pointing out that this is a civil matter governed by contract law. The contract hasn’t been invalidated or proven fraudulent, and the EFCC had no business intervening."
Opara added, "When we came to court today, the EFCC informed the court they had only just been served and needed time to respond. In the interest of fairness, the court granted their request, which we didn’t oppose. The court also issued a directive that they should refrain from pursuing our client since we have already submitted our papers and notified them about the nature of the case, which they complied with."
The case was adjourned to February 14, 2025, for further proceedings.
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