Peter Okoye, popularly known as Mr P and one half of the defunct music duo P-Square, on Friday admitted before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja that he is a co-signatory to the Northside Entertainment Limited bank account, contradicting his earlier claim that his elder brother, Jude Okoye, was the sole signatory.
Peter made the admission while testifying before Justice Rahman Oshodi in the ongoing trial of Jude, who faces charges of alleged $1 million theft brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Earlier in the proceedings, Peter had asserted that Jude exclusively controlled the company’s accounts and financial transactions. However, during cross-examination, defence counsel Clement Onwuewunor (SAN) presented bank mandates showing that both Peter and his twin brother, Paul Okoye, were also signatories.
When asked why he had previously claimed that he was only a shareholder, Peter explained, “My Lord, the information I got was from a phone conversation with officials of the new bank.”
He then acknowledged his actual status with the company’s account at Ecobank, stating, “My Lord, I am a co-signatory to the Northside Entertainment Limited account in Ecobank.”
Peter clarified the discrepancy, noting that Jude initially operated the account alone before adding him and Paul as signatories. “From the very onset, Jude was the only signatory. But after some years, he made myself and Paul signatories,” he said. “Despite that, I never personally signed cheques or carried out transactions.”
The singer also reaffirmed that the P-Square music catalogue belongs solely to him and Paul, excluding Jude. “The catalogue is the collection of songs we produced over the years,” he explained, adding that the duo released about six albums with 10 to 15 tracks each, totaling nearly 100 songs.
Peter told the court that Jude was not an original member of P-Square but later joined as manager around 2004 or 2005, following prior arrangements with other managers. “There was no written contract or formal letter of employment documenting his appointment,” he said.
When the defence suggested that the brothers were just the public face of the group while Jude played a more substantive behind-the-scenes role, Peter disagreed. “We all started together as students. We had several managers before Jude. The success of P-Square was built by me and my twin brother from the beginning,” he said.
He also confirmed the establishment of companies to manage their music business, including Northside Entertainment Limited as a management company and Square Records Limited as their record label. “That arrangement meant we were not just artistes but part-owners of the companies handling our music and business affairs,” Peter said.
Under further questioning, Peter admitted that Jude held about 40 per cent of the shares in Northside Entertainment Limited, while he held approximately 30 per cent, although he could not verify exact figures. He also identified Mad Solutions as one of the organisations responsible for collecting and distributing royalties from P-Square songs in Nigeria. “They pay me my own share into my personal account as Peter Okoye. I cannot speak for how payments due to others are handled,” he said.
The defence later presented a royalty distribution contract and asked him to confirm his signature. Peter responded, “The signature looks like mine, but I need to examine the document more closely.”
The trial was adjourned by Justice Oshodi until May 15, 2026, for continuation.
