The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday, May 16, 2025, presented its first prosecution witness, Peter Obumuneme Okoye—popularly known as Mr P—against his elder brother, Jude Chigozie Okoye, before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja.
Jude Okoye, former manager of the defunct music duo P-Square, is standing trial alongside his company, Northside Music Ltd., on a four-count charge bordering on alleged theft involving $1 million and £34,537.
Led in evidence by EFCC counsel Mohammed Bashir, Mr P told the court he submitted a petition on January 22, 2024, alleging financial misconduct linked to Northside Music Ltd. Investigations later revealed that Jude’s wife, Ifeoma, owns 80% of the company, with Jude holding the remaining 20%.
Peter Okoye also alleged that Jude operated over 47 bank accounts used to receive royalties without remitting earnings due to him and his twin brother, Paul. “Before our group split in 2017, all royalties were paid into Northside Entertainment Ltd., where we were all shareholders,” he said, adding that Jude was the sole signatory to the company’s accounts.
The witness further claimed Jude never denied the allegations during EFCC investigations and that his twin brother Paul had acknowledged that Jude owned 40% of the P-Square brand, while the twins owned 30% each.
He also recounted that, after P-Square’s reunion in 2021 without Jude as manager, he discovered irregularities in royalty payments. “I found out Jude had been running a similar company—Northside Music Ltd.—and had tampered with our catalog’s backend, which discouraged potential buyers,” he testified.
The EFCC tendered the petition as evidence without objection from defence counsel, Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN. The trial continues on May 23.
