On Friday, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), counsel to Jude Okoye—former manager of the defunct music group P-Square—accused Peter Okoye (Mr. P) of deliberately misleading the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with false and contradictory claims.
Jude Okoye and his company, Northside Music Limited, are currently on trial before the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja. They face four counts related to the alleged theft and unlawful conversion of royalties amounting to $1,019,763.87 and £34,537.59 from digital music distribution and publishing platforms.
During Friday’s proceedings, Peter Okoye completed his testimony and was cross-examined by Onwuenwunor. The defence argued that Peter’s statements were riddled with inconsistencies and fabrications aimed at misleading the EFCC and damaging Jude Okoye’s reputation.
One of the key discrepancies highlighted involved Peter’s claim to be a graduate of the University of Abuja. The defence presented evidence that Peter had dropped out of the university, contradicting his written EFCC statement where he identified himself as a graduate. When confronted, Peter attempted to clarify that he had only “attended” the university, but court records showed he had explicitly described himself as a graduate, leading him to admit under oath that he had not completed his degree.
The defence also provided documents indicating that Peter and his twin brother Paul were not only aware of but had signatory authority over the accounts of Northside Entertainment Limited. This contradicted Peter’s earlier claim that Jude was the sole signatory and that he had no access to the company’s financial operations. According to the documents, Jude was listed as a Category A signatory, while Peter and Paul were Category B signatories.
Peter acknowledged that the account belonged to all three brothers but maintained that Jude was the only one who operated it. “My Lord, I’ve never held a cheque. Whenever I requested money, Jude would send $10,000 to me, the same to Paul, and pay himself, as if I don’t have responsibilities. I have school fees to pay,” he said.
However, the defence presented bank records showing Peter had personally withdrawn large sums in both naira and dollars from the company account. Peter denied this, insisting he never visited the bank himself until recently. “I don’t go to the bank. Jude gave the cheque to the assistant manager, who cashed it and paid it into my account,” he explained.
Further evidence showed multiple direct transfers made by Jude to Peter, challenging Peter’s sworn claim that he never benefited financially from Northside Music or any deals managed by Jude. Peter responded that he had no knowledge the funds originated from Lex Records, stating the transfers bore only Jude’s name in the payment narration.
Peter also told the court that Jude operated 47 bank accounts. “When I went to EFCC, they told me he had more than 47 accounts,” he said. When asked whether he questioned the source of the funds, he admitted he never did because they had “millions of dollars” in their account.
The defence further scrutinized Peter’s earlier claims about royalty payments from Mad Solutions, the company managing P-Square’s music catalogue. Peter had testified that he was unaware of the deal and had received only $25,000 and $20,000, alleging Jude siphoned off the bulk of the royalties.
But the defence presented documents proving that all three—Jude, Peter, and Paul—signed the contract with Mad Solutions and were equally entitled to payments. The actual amounts received by Peter, according to the defence, were $4,330.47 and $5,837.35—significantly lower than what he claimed under oath.
“Peter’s testimony before the EFCC is filled with lies and misrepresentations. These are not simple memory lapses—they reflect a deliberate attempt to mislead both investigators and this honourable court,” Onwuenwunor stated.
Justice Rahman Oshodi admitted the EFCC documents and bank records into evidence and reminded the defence to share all documents with the prosecution to ensure a more efficient trial. “If you intend to use a document, make it available to them to make the trial faster,” he advised.
In his earlier testimony, Peter had claimed he wasn’t entitled to proceeds from Jude’s company because Jude used P-Square’s official letterhead to sign other artistes, including Cynthia Morgan.
“He used our letterhead to sign Cynthia Morgan, so I wasn’t entitled to anything,” Peter said. “The catalogue belongs to Peter and Paul. A manager is only paid to manage, not to own. We allowed Jude to manage us because he’s our brother.”
Peter also stated that while preparing to travel to Turkey, he discovered account statements from Northside Music, owned by Jude and his wife, who holds an 80% stake. “I found out that the defendant and my twin brother Paul withdrew nearly $800,000 from the account, so I took the matter to the EFCC,” he said.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the trial to continue on October 10 and 17, 2025.