Peter Okoye testifies against elder brother, Jude, in court,

Singer, Peter Okoye, one-half of the popular duo P-Square, testified before the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday, April 14, against his elder brother and former manager, Jude Okoye, accusing him of diverting over N1.3 billion in royalties through a company registered in his wife’s name.

Jude Okoye is currently facing a seven-count charge of fraud filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) bordering on alleged money laundering involving N1.38 billion, $1 million, and £34,537.59.

He is being tried alongside his firm, Northside Music Limited.

One of the charges alleges that Jude acquired a property valued at N850 million in Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, with funds suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities—an offence under the Money Laundering Act, 2022.

Jude pleaded not guilty when arraigned on February 26, 2025.

Testifying as the first prosecution witness, Peter told the court that Jude secretly incorporated Northside Music Ltd—a name closely resembling their original company, Northside Entertainment Ltd—and used it to collect the group’s royalties.

According to Peter, the new company was unknown to him and his twin brother Paul, and only Jude and his wife were listed as directors, with her owning 80% of the shares.

Peter stated that after P-Square split in 2017 and later reunited in 2021, he noticed discrepancies in financial transactions, especially involving royalty payments.

“He was the sole signatory to all our accounts—Zenith Bank, Ecobank, and FCMB. I couldn’t even buy a phone without his permission,” he said.

He recounted how, in 2022, a potential buyer for their music catalogue requested account statements, which exposed Peter’s lack of access to key financial and digital backend information.

When he sought answers from Jude and Paul, he said Paul distanced himself, claiming ignorance.

Peter claimed Jude later told him that his share of the funds was with contacts in South Africa, but insisted he was not asking for money—just transparency. His requests, he said, were met with silence.

Reflecting on the group’s earlier years, Peter explained that Jude had taken over management after several others had handled the role.

He shared frustrations over funding being cut off for a house project in Ikoyi after P-Square’s split and revealed that prominent lawyer Festus Keyamo (now Minister of Aviation) once advised them to establish a financial sharing formula.

He also said that when he approached Zenith Bank, the account officer confirmed Jude’s instruction not to release any information to him, advising that only a court order would change that.

Peter revealed that when he switched digital rights management to Mad Solutions, he earned over $22,000 in three months, showing potential revenue he had missed.

However, he found that the aggregators managing P-Square’s content were also working with Jude and Paul, raising more concerns.

Further investigations into the Corporate Affairs Commission revealed that Northside Music Ltd was fully controlled by Jude and his wife.

When he eventually received the catalogue from Jude, Peter said the data appeared tampered with, drastically reducing its market value from $8,000 to just $500.

He also recounted issues with tax filings, saying an official once visited his home claiming the group owed minimal taxes despite the accounts showing consistent earnings post-split.

This prompted Peter to contact his lawyer, Afolabi, who subsequently petitioned the EFCC.

The case has been adjourned until June 4, 2025, for cross-examination.