The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged music businessman Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu and his record label EeZee Conceptz with the exploitation of the gospel singer Judikay.
Onyedikachukwu is the founder of EeZee Conceptz.
On February 25, 2019, Judikay entered a five-year management agreement with the label, which ended in 2024.
In June 2024, the singer (born Judith Kanayo) petitioned the EFCC and accused Onyedikachukwu of falsifying accounts.
She claimed Onyedikachukwu and his label committed theft against her to the tune of £800,000.
Judikay said the label partnered and executed several contracts with digital streaming platforms and third parties on her behalf.
She said the partnerships, which she was not privy to, were to sell, distribute, license, and exploit her musical compositions and sound recordings.
Judikay listed the parties to include 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 said Onyedikachukwu and his company “defrauded” her by “refusing to produce accurate financial records, falsifying the records by altering the original data from third parties and streaming platforms”.
She petitioned the EFCC and filed a suit at the federal high court in Lagos with the 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 high court in Lagos had earlier ordered the arrest of Onyedikachukwu following a petition from another singer Mercy Chinwo against the label boss.
Chinwo had accused the music promoter of diverting approximately $345,000 in music revenue without remitting 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 part of the proceeds from an unlawful act, specifically the dishonest conversion of monies belonging to Chinwo and Judikay.
The EFCC stated that the act constitutes an offence under 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 alleged that in 2022, the music promoter retained $112,985 in the same account, which was identified as proceeds of the alleged unlawful conversion of funds belonging to the two singers.
Count 3 alleged that the label boss, in 2023, retained $69,892 in the same account, also identified as proceeds of the alleged dishonest conversion of the singers’ property.
The EFCC said an audit report conducted by Pearson Consulting Limited revealed discrepancies in the amounts credited to Judikay from revenues earned on YouTube.
The report showed a variance of $26,601 in YouTube earnings between 2019 and 2023.
It further disclosed that Eezee Conceptz Global retained a total of $264,109 in undistributed income meant for its artistes.
