Nigerian musician Peter Okoye, often known as Mr. P, was introduced by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday, May 16, 2025, as its first prosecution witness (PW1) in the ongoing trial of Jude Chigozie Okoye, his older brother.
Jude Okoye, the former manager of the now-defunct P-Square, and his company, Northside Music Ltd., are on trial before Justice Rahman Oshodi at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on four counts that include alleged theft of $1 million and £34,537 in music royalties, according to Naija News.
Mr. P informed the court, under the direction of EFCC attorney Mohammed Bashir, that he filed a suit with the EFCC on January 22, 2024, alleging money embezzlement from royalties.
He said that although he had first put Northside Music Ltd. as the respondent, further research showed that Jude owned 20% of the business, with Ifeoma, Jude’s wife, owning the remaining 80%.
Before the EFCC inquired about my twin brother’s involvement in April 2024, I had never spoken to Paul or Jude. “I don’t know,” I answered. Jude received earnings using more than 47 bank accounts, according to investigations,” he added.
Even though Jude and Paul were later invited by the anti-graft agency, only Jude was arrested, Mr. P noted.
Additionally, he revealed: “Jude never disputed doing the crime. However, Paul informed me during an EFCC meeting that Jude owns 40% of P-Square, with Paul and I owning the other 30% apiece.
Mr. P claimed to have been ignorant of Northside Music Ltd., which he learned was registered in 2015 even though the group had been in existence since 2013—two years prior to its dissolution in 2017.
Jude’s wife, Ifeoma, “was never part of our business engagements,” he continued.
As he described the path of the pair, Mr. P said that he and Paul began their musical career in 1999. All three brothers, Peter, Paul, and Jude, were named as directors and shareholders of Northside Entertainment Ltd. by the time it was registered in 2005.
Jude was the only signatory on three accounts that were opened with Zenith Bank, Ecobank, and FCMB. He testified, “These included Dollar and Naira accounts.”
He stated that he never got any royalties from P-Square between their 2017 breakup and their 2021 reunion.
Prior to the breakup, Northside Entertainment Ltd. received all income from music streaming services like I-Rocking.com and FreeMe Digital.
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He stated, “After we got back together, without Jude managing us, I found disparities in royalties and saw a similarly named business—Northside Music Ltd.—run by Jude alone.”
He further disclosed that when a prospective buyer approached the group about selling their music collection while on tour in London, he asked to view the royalty back-end, which revealed dubious transactions.
The January 22, 2024 petition was submitted by the EFCC as evidence in court. Chief Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN, the defense attorney, did not raise any objections.
The petition was granted by Justice Oshodi, who also postponed additional proceedings.
The case reportedly revolves around claims that Jude Okoye and Northside Music Ltd. embezzled substantial profits from the internationally popular P-Square discography, despite the group’s 2017 breakup and subsequent reunion without Jude’s leadership.
The trial is ongoing as the EFCC aims to prove improper registration of business organizations associated with the P-Square brand, fraudulent appropriation of royalties, and misuse of company accounts.
