The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed charges against Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, the founder of the musical company EeZee Conceptz, for allegedly exploiting gospel singer Judikay, his former label artist.
A five-year management deal with the label was signed by the singer, whose real name is Judith Kanayo, in 2019; it ended in 2024.
She filed a petition with the EFCC in June 2024, accusing Onyedikachukwu of falsifying accounts.
The singer claimed that Onyedikachukwu and his record label stole £800,000 from her.
Judikay alleged that the label worked with digital streaming platforms and third parties to complete several contracts on her behalf.
She alleged that these partnerships, made without her consent, were intended to sell, distribute, license, and exploit her musical compositions and sound recordings.
Judikay named the parties involved as YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, Audiomack, and BoomPlay.
The singer said the label boss “received payments, royalties for the sale, use, license, distribution and exploitation of musical works and sound recordings during the term”.
Judikay alleged that Onyedikachukwu and his company defrauded her by not providing correct financial records and by altering data from third-party services and streaming platforms.
She submitted a complaint to the EFCC and also filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Lagos, with case number “FHC/L/578/2.”
The petition partly reads: “The company and Ezeqiel ThankGod have fraudulently converted, diverted, and stolen an amount in excess of £800,000 of the proceeds from the sale, use, license, distribution and exploitation of my works thereby depriving me of my lawful earnings.”
A Lagos High Court had previously issued an arrest order for Onyedikachukwu after another singer, Mercy Chinwo, filed a petition against the label boss.
Chinwo claimed that the music promoter diverted approximately $345,000 in music revenue and did not remit her share.
In response, the EFCC filed a three-count charge against EeZee Conceptz and Onyedikachukwu.
Rotimi Oyedepo, the EFCC’s lead counsel, accused Eezee Global of unlawfully converting royalties intended for Judikay and Mercy Chinwo.
In count 1, The EFCC alleged that Eezee Global, in 2023, retained $260,494 in its Zenith Bank account.
The funds were described as proceeds from an unlawful act, specifically the fraudulent conversion of money owed to Chinwo and Judikay.
The EFCC stated that the act breaches Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and is punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
In count 2, the EFCC accused the music promoter of holding $112,985 in the same account in 2022, which was identified as proceeds from the alleged unlawful conversion of funds belonging to the two singers.
Count 3 accused the label boss of retaining $69,892 in the same account in 2023, which was also identified as proceeds from the alleged fraudulent conversion of the singers’ funds.
The EFCC stated that an audit by Pearson Consulting Limited revealed discrepancies in the amounts credited to Judikay from YouTube revenue.
The report highlighted a discrepancy of $26,601 in YouTube earnings from 2019 to 2023.
The report also uncovered that Eezee Global retained $264,109 in undistributed income intended for its artists.
