NIGERIAN music promoter Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu ThankGod, known professionally as Eezee Tee, has been arraigned in the Federal High Court in Ikoyi on charges of illegal foreign exchange dealings and money laundering totalling $397,106.
ThankGod, the former manager of gospel artist Mercy Chinwo, pleaded not guilty to seven amended charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke set the trial date for June 20, 2025, while granting ThankGod bail of ₦20 million with one surety who must own property of equivalent value in Lagos.
EFCC prosecutor Mohammed Adamu presented evidence that ThankGod and his company, Eezee Global Concepts Limited, negotiated unauthorised foreign exchange transactions worth $52,895 with Oladotun Olaobaju Mureke in June 2023, violating Nigeria’s Foreign Exchange Monitoring Act.
Additional charges allege the company received $137,383 in its Zenith Bank account in 2024 without submitting mandatory declarations to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML).
“The defendant repeatedly evaded service and failed to honour EFCC invitations despite being on administrative bail,” Adamu told the court, citing a 16-paragraph counter-affidavit opposing bail.
If convicted, ThankGod faces imprisonment, substantial fines, and asset forfeiture under Nigeria’s financial crime laws, which carry severe penalties for unauthorised forex dealings and money laundering.
The case has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s entertainment industry, where ThankGod is a prominent figure, and represents a significant escalation in the EFCC’s crackdown on financial crimes within the country’s booming music sector.
Legal analysts describe the prosecution as a test case signalling authorities’ determination to enforce compliance with foreign exchange and anti-money laundering regulations across all sectors of Nigeria’s economy.
ThankGod left the courtroom without comment, flanked by associates, as supporters gathered outside the courthouse.
The EFCC has intensified its focus on high-profile entertainment figures in recent months amid concerns about unexplained wealth flowing through Nigeria’s creative industries.
