No Freedom, No Money!” — Peter Okoye Testifies Against Brother Jude’s Alleged Financial Domination

Popular Nigerian musician Peter Okoye, formerly of the iconic duo P-Square, has told the Federal High Court in Lagos how his older brother and ex-manager, Jude Okoye, allegedly diverted the group’s earnings by secretly establishing a company in his wife’s name.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Jude Okoye is currently standing trial alongside Northside Music Limited on a seven-count charge of money laundering, filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The case involves suspicious financial transactions totaling approximately ₦1.38 billion, $1 million, and £34,537.59.

Testifying as the EFCC’s first witness, Peter claimed that Jude discreetly registered Northside Music Ltd, a company with a name similar to their original business, Northside Entertainment Ltd, without informing either him or his twin brother, Paul Okoye.

“I discovered Jude had registered another company, Northside Music Ltd, and was using it to collect our royalties without our knowledge. The company has just two directors—his wife and himself. She owns 80%, and he owns 20%,” Peter told the court.

He revealed that after the group’s 2017 split and their 2021 reunion, he began noticing discrepancies, especially regarding the management of their music royalties.

During cross-examination by EFCC’s lawyer, Aso Larry, Peter further disclosed that he was completely excluded from financial decisions for years, with Jude being the sole signatory to all group accounts across Zenith Bank, Ecobank, and FCMB.

“I wasn’t even allowed to buy a phone without Jude’s approval,” he said.

Peter also recounted being denied access to vital financial records, including backend data and digital catalogues, which would typically show royalty earnings from platforms like YouTube and iTunes. Even his twin brother, Paul, was allegedly unaware of the financial dealings.

He added that he only discovered Northside Music Ltd in 2022 when a prospective buyer seeking to acquire their albums requested financial records.

“When the buyer asked for our account statements, I realised I had no access to them. That’s when I started digging and found the other company Jude registered,” he said.

Peter concluded that Jude refused to clarify the financial situation, instead claiming that the funds were being held by unknown individuals in South Africa.