On Friday, May 16, 2025, the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presented its inaugural prosecution witness, Peter Obumuneme Okoye, also known as Mr P, against Jude Chigozie Okoye, the elder brother and former manager of the renowned musical duo, P-Square. The case was brought before Justice Rahman Oshodi at the State High Court in Ikeja, Lagos.
Jude Okoye, alongside his company Northside Music Ltd., faces a four-count indictment related to the alleged misappropriation of $1 million and £34,537.
During the proceedings, led by prosecution counsel Mohammed Bashir, Peter Okoye testified that his brother’s wife, Ifeoma Okoye, holds an 80% stake in Northside Music Ltd., leaving Jude with a mere 20%. He stated, “On January 22, 2024, I visited the EFCC with my lawyer to submit a petition. Initially, I named Northside Music as the respondent, but subsequent investigations revealed that Ifeoma is the majority owner.”
He continued, “I submitted the petition without any communication with Paul or Jude until early April 2024, when the EFCC inquired about my twin brother’s involvement, to which I expressed my ignorance.”
Peter further disclosed that the EFCC had uncovered over 47 bank accounts linked to Jude, allegedly used for receiving royalties. Although both Paul and Jude were later summoned by the EFCC, only Jude was detained.
He recounted a conversation during which Jude did not contest the allegations, stating, “Paul informed me that Jude owns 40% of P-Square, while he and I each hold 30%.” Peter also expressed his surprise at the registration of Northside Music, claiming ignorance of its establishment in 2015, which had been operating illegally two years prior to their split.
The prosecution sought to introduce the petition dated January 22, 2024, which faced no objections from the defendants’ lead counsel, Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN.
Earlier in the hearing, Peter shared that he and Paul commenced their music careers in 1999 and established Northside Entertainment Ltd. between 2005 and 2006, where they served as directors and shareholders. However, he indicated that Jude was the sole signatory to the company’s accounts across various banks, which included both Naira and Dollar accounts.
He noted, “Following the breakup of P-Square in September 2017, I did not receive any royalties during that time. Prior to our split, all royalties were directed to Northside Entertainment Ltd., where we were all stakeholders.”
After their reunion in November 2021, without Jude as their manager, Peter discovered discrepancies in royalty payments. He recalled an encounter during a London tour where potential buyers expressed interest in their music catalog but required access to backend information. Despite multiple requests for this information, he found that Jude had altered the original documents, leading seven companies to reconsider purchasing the catalogs.
The court has adjourned the case until May 23 for the continuation of the trial.
