Mercy Chinwo has accused her manager, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, of diverting $345,000 in royalties from her digital platforms and events without remitting her share.
This allegation led Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Lagos to issued an arrest warrant for Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, the manager of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo on Thursday.
The order was granted following an ex parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which sought the manager’s arrest.
When the case was called, Mrs. Bilikisu Buhari, representing the EFCC, informed the court of an application based on Section 35(1)(c) of the 1999 Constitution and several sections of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
Buhari moved the application, requesting the court to issue a warrant to compel the manager’s appearance to answer to criminal charges.
She also stated that if the manager could not be arrested, the EFCC would issue a public summons declaring him wanted.
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The court granted the request and adjourned the case until January 24 for the manager’s arraignment.
In support of the application, the EFCC filed an affidavit stating that it had received a petition from Chinwo accusing the manager of collecting royalties from her digital platforms and events without disclosure.
According to the affidavit, Chinwo claimed that the manager Onyedikachukwu had been receiving royalties from her digital platforms and events without proper disclosure and had diverted the funds, failing to remit her rightful share.
In the affidavit supporting the application, EFCC investigator Michael Idoko revealed that the commission received a petition from Mercy Chinwo, in which she accused her manager of diverting $345,000 in royalties.
The EFCC stated that despite efforts to arrest the manager, their attempts had been unsuccessful, prompting the request for an arrest warrant. The court proceedings will continue with the arraignment scheduled for January 24.
