Nigerian singer Peter Okoye, widely known as Mr P and formerly one half of the music duo P-Square, has taken the witness stand in a fraud case involving his elder brother and former manager, Jude Okoye.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) resumed its trial on Friday at the Ikeja Special Offences Court, where Jude and his firm, Northside Music Ltd, are being prosecuted over allegations of misappropriating $1 million and £34,537. The EFCC had earlier secured a N50 million bail for Jude on March 6.
Justice Rahman Oshodi presided over the hearing, where Mr P appeared as the first witness for the prosecution, represented by counsel Mohammed Bashir.
During his testimony, Mr P detailed how he filed a petition on January 22, 2024, alleging financial misconduct tied to royalty earnings. Initially, he listed Northside Music Ltd as the respondent but later discovered through EFCC investigations that Jude’s wife, Ifeoma, owns 80% of the company, leaving Jude with 20%.
“I went to the EFCC with my lawyer to submit the petition. I didn’t know at the time that Jude’s wife was the main shareholder. That only came to light after the Commission began digging into the matter,” Mr P told the court.
He disclosed that he didn’t speak with either Jude or his twin brother Paul (also known as Rudeboy) until April 2024, after the anti-graft agency sought clarification on Paul’s involvement. He added that the EFCC uncovered more than 47 bank accounts linked to royalty payments under Jude’s control.
According to Mr P, Jude was later detained by the EFCC following the petition. He recounted a discussion during a meeting at the EFCC where Paul claimed Jude held the majority stake in P-Square.
“Paul told me Jude owns 40 per cent, while the two of us hold 30 per cent each. I didn’t know Northside Music was even registered, and Ifeoma was never part of our business arrangements,” he stated.
He further alleged that Northside Music Ltd had been secretly registered in 2015—two years before the group’s initial break-up—and had operated without his knowledge.
The EFCC then moved to tender Mr P’s petition as evidence. The defense, led by Clement Onwuenwunor, did not contest its admission. Justice Oshodi adjourned proceedings until May 23.
Mr P also shed light on the early years of the group, revealing that he and Paul launched their music career in 1999 and set up Northside Entertainment Ltd in 2005–2006. He explained that while all three brothers were shareholders, Jude was the only one authorized to operate the company’s accounts held with Ecobank, FCMB, and Zenith Bank.
“These were both Naira and Dollar accounts, and only Jude could sign off on transactions. After our group disbanded in 2017, we reconciled in 2021, but I didn’t receive any royalties during that entire period,” he said.
He added that royalties were previously paid through aggregators like iRocking.com and Freeme Digital, which generated revenue from mobile streaming of their music.
Following the group’s eventual return without Jude as manager, Mr P said he noticed inconsistencies in how earnings were handled. During a London tour, potential buyers showed interest in acquiring their music catalog but required backend access to streaming revenue records.
“I made several efforts to obtain that backend data from Jude, but what I got had been tampered with. Because of that, more than seven companies backed out of purchasing our catalogue,” he claimed.
P-Square, made up of Peter, Paul, and Jude Okoye, originally split in 2017, reunited in 2021, and parted ways again in August 2024. The group’s legacy is now marred by ongoing court battles surrounding alleged financial mismanagement and control of royalty earnings.
