“You lied to court,” Producer tackles Mercy Chinwo over alleged $345k diversion
Mercy Chinwo
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
By Taiye Agbaje
A music producer Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, has described allegation by popular gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo, that he diverted the sum of $345,000 belonging to her as untrue and baseless.
Onyedikachukwu said this followed warrant of arrest issued against him by Justice Alexander Owoeye of a FHC, Lagos on Thursday
The order followed an ex-parte motion moved by EFCC’s lawyer, Bilikisu Buhari, over alleged diversion of the $345,000 in royalties from digital platforms and events of Mercy Chinwo.
Justice Owoeye adjourned the matter until Jan. 24 for Onyedikachukwu’s arraignment.
However, the music producer, in a statement by Mr Maxwell Opara, his lawyer on Saturday in Abuja said it was actually Chinwo who reneged on the record label and management contract with label, Eeze Conceptz owned by Onyedikachukwu.
The lawyer claimed that Chinwo presented falsehood to the EFCC against his client.
The lawyer, also claimed that Onyedikachukwu was never Chinwo’s manager.
Rather, he said it was his client who as a producer, sometimes in 2017, scouted and discovered Chinwo’s talent, developed the talent as well as promoted and brought her to the limelight in the gospel music industry.
He also said that the allegation that the embattled producer diverted the singer’s $345,000 U.S. dollars in royalties was false.
“The members of public must take note; that the allegations made against our client by Mercy Chinwo and the EFCC before obtaining the arrest warrant order for the arrest of our client were false and unfounded.
“This is evident as contained in the processes presented by the EFCC before the Honorable Court prior to obtaining the said order, wherein the EFCC alleged our client was Mercy Chinwo’s manager which he is not and never was.
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“Again, the allegation that our client diverted Mercy Chinwo’s funds is also totally false and that our client could not be reached, which both Mercy Chinwo, and the EFCC very well know how our client could be reached and apprehended in such events.”
“Consequently, we have commenced the procedure in line with the rules of the Honorable acourt to have the said order set aside or vacated.
“And we strongly believe that, once the facts and evidences are truthfully placed before the Honorable Court, the Honorable Court will do that which is right and just in the circumstance.
“Hence, we urge the members of the public to disregard every smear publication and campaign coordinated by Mercy Chinwo against our client.”
He alleged that Chinwo signed a Label and Artist Management Contract for a five-year term beginning from 2017 to 2022 with their client but reneged.
According to Okpara, the contract covers among other things, ownership of the catalogue and splits of all royalties derived from the exploitation of music catalogue developed, financed and promoted by the record label.
The lawyer said in the midst of the dispute, Onyedikachukwu was allegedly detained at the EFCC Ilorin office between April 16, 2024 and April 25, 2024,
He said during the period, the commission carried out extensive audit of Onyedikachukwu’s bank accounts and found no evidence of wrongdoings.
He said a fundamental rights enforcement suit was filed at the Federal High Court (FHC) in Lagos Division on July 17, 2024, against the anti-graft agency, Chinwo and others, to restrain them from further harassment, arrest and detention of their client.
“It therefore came as a rude shock for the same commission to claim that Mr Onyedikachukwu’s had not been located and procured an ex-parte warrant of arrest on him.
“These schemes are targeted to malign the Label and its Founder and they will be very firmly resisted within the ambit of the law,” he said.
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