The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced the prosecution of Jude Chigozie Okoye, former manager and elder brother of the celebrated music duo P-Square, over allegations of financial misappropriation running into foreign currencies. At the opening of trial on Friday, May 16, 2025, before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, the anti-graft agency presented its first witness, Peter Obumuneme Okoye—popularly known as Mr P.
Jude Okoye, who managed P-Square during its peak years, is facing trial alongside his company, Northside Music Ltd., on a four-count charge bordering on alleged theft amounting to $1 million and £34,537. The EFCC alleges that the accused diverted music royalties into personal accounts using his influence and control over the group’s financial channels.
Led in evidence by EFCC counsel Mohammed Bashir, Peter Okoye narrated how he petitioned the Commission in January 2024 after noticing irregularities in royalty disbursements. According to him, investigations later revealed that Jude’s wife, Ifeoma Okoye, holds an 80 percent ownership stake in Northside Music Ltd., while Jude holds the remaining 20 percent.
Peter stated that he did not initially include Jude in the petition, naming only Northside Music as the respondent. However, further investigations by the EFCC uncovered that the company was closely linked to the family, with Jude using over 47 different bank accounts to allegedly receive royalties meant for P-Square.
He also informed the court that although both Jude and his twin brother Paul were later invited for questioning, only Jude was detained. During a meeting facilitated by EFCC officials, Paul reportedly told him that Jude owns 40 percent of P-Square’s business interests, while Peter and Paul each held 30 percent. This claim, Peter maintained, contradicted the group’s earlier structure and was never part of their understanding.
Peter added that Ifeoma, Jude’s wife, was never involved in any formal or informal dealings regarding the music group and that he was unaware of the incorporation of Northside Music Ltd. until much later. He claimed that records showed the company was registered in 2015 but had been operating since at least 2013—two years before P-Square’s initial breakup in 2017.
The prosecution sought to tender the original petition dated January 22, 2024, into evidence, which was admitted without objection from the defence counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Clement Onwuenwunor.
Peter also recounted the history of the group, which began their music career in 1999. He said that by 2005/2006, they had floated Northside Entertainment Ltd., a joint venture where he, Paul, and Jude were directors and shareholders. According to him, Jude was the sole signatory to three major corporate accounts housed in Eco Bank, FCMB, and Zenith Bank, including Naira and Dollar accounts, through which royalty payments were handled.
He noted that before the group disbanded in 2017, all royalties from aggregators such as I-Rocking.com and FreeMe Digital were paid into Northside Entertainment Ltd., and shared accordingly. However, following the group’s split and his solo rebranding as Mr P, Peter said he began to notice serious discrepancies in the remittance of royalties after the group’s 2021 reunion, especially as Jude was no longer their manager.
According to him, during a music tour in London, an individual who showed interest in acquiring their music catalog requested to access backend data. That request, Peter said, prompted him to investigate their streaming and royalty income, eventually uncovering what he described as irregular transactions tied to Northside Music Ltd.
The court has adjourned the matter to a later date for the continuation of trial, as the EFCC continues its case against Jude Okoye in one of the most high-profile entertainment-related financial investigations in Nigeria’s music industry.
