'I find out say na Jude and im wife be di directors of Northside Music, im wife own 80% while Jude own 20%' - Peter Okoye tell court

BBC News

15-04-2025

Di Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC don start dia prosecution of di former manager of di music duo wey dem dey call P-Square, Jude Okoye.
Okoye dey on trial togeda wit im company Northside Music Limited dey charged wit seven counts wey dey border on money laundering of 1.38bn naira ($809, 000.
One of di counts na say for 2022, e buy landed property for Parkview Estate wit money wey im know or suppose know say comot from unlawful act wey dey against wetin Section 18 (2) (d) and dey punishable under Section 18 (3) of di Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Jude Okoye plead not guilty to all di charges.
EFCC call Peter Okoye wey bin dey part of P-Square bifor dem break up as dia first witness for di case as na im through im lawyer carry di mata of wetin dey happun for P-Square reach EFCC table.
Na still di same EFCC reveal wetin happun for di first day of di case.
Di case dey adjourned til June 4, wen di defence go cross examine oga Okoye.
Wetin Peter tok as im testimony against Jude Okoye?
Peter Okoye aka Mr P, tok for im testimoney say di mata bin start sake of say dem bin get problem wit di way wey Jude Okoye bin dey manage dem and Northside Entertainment Limited on top say e be di sole signatory for all dia accounts for Ecobank, Zenith and FCMB.
E say, "Dis issues bin last for couple of months. I bin no get access to di accounts until di current Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, SAN wey be our lawyer tok say we need sharing formula."
As part of di evidence, e tok say di brodas bin dey build dia houses for Ikoyi, "na Northwest Entertainment Ltd. bin dey fund di house project but dem stop to dey fund my house for six months. Na so I go meet Jude and my twin broda, Paul to know why dem stop to finance my project. But wetin I hear from dem be say, 'As you leave P-square, you don leave di money'. Na so I go meet our lawyer Keyamo."
E explain say all dia money bin dey inside Northside Entertainment and Jude be di only signatory.
E add say na during dat time e find company wey dey similar to dia own wey be Northside Music Limited.
E explain say di way e find out na for 2022. Peter say, "I find out wen some pipo bin wan acquire our albums. Dem come ask for our statements of account to know how much di albums dey make monthly, na dat time I demand to know di backend but e no gree."
E tok say e meet Paul to tok di mata but Paul tell am say tell am say e don discuss di mata wit Jude, na im e go meet Jude again.
Peter testify give di court say, "E tell me say my share of money dey wit some pipo for South Africa. I come tell am say no be money I dey ask for, na backend and statements of di account but no hear beta response."
At dat point e go meet di account officers for statements of account but dem no ansa am infact "di account officer for di Zenith Bank later tell me say Jude say make e no give me say di only way wey I go get am na through court".
E say till im call, e no know say any company dey called Northside Music, even di album by Cynthia Morgan wey be Jude artiste dat ime bin dey by Northside Incorporation.
Later e tok say e meet Jude for di same backend wey Jude say e go take like three and half months to retrieve di catalogue.
E reveal say wen e get di catalogue and dem send am to di pipo wey wan buy am na wen dem find out say dem din tamoer wit di back end, na wen e decide to find out who dey behind Northside Music.
E say, "I bin go di Corporate Affairs Commssion (CAC) site and find out say na Jude and im wife be di directors of Northside Music. I also find out say Jude wife own 80% while Jude own 20%."
Afta more discovery wey include how Peter no get anytin for di backend sake of say e bin dey tampered wit and meeting between who bin wan buy di catalogue and paul and even some tax issues wey join, na im Peter decide to contact im lawyer wey carry di case give EFCC.
Wetin start all dis kasala?
Na public knowledge say serious kwanta dey between Paul Okoye, Peter Okoye, wey be im twin brother and dia elder brother Jude Okoye, and di mata involve di EFCC.
For August 2023, Peter Okoye, di twin brother of Paul wey dem togeda dey sing bin tok say im write petition give EFCC against dia elder brother Jude Okoye and im wife on top accuse of mago-mago.
E allege say Oga Jude divert P-Square royalties inside secret account, and dat lead tensions and legal threats.
One of di counts read: "Say you, Jude Okoye Chigozie and Northside Music Ltd sometime in 2022, for Lagos, within di jurisdiction of dis Honourable Court, did directly acquire one landed property for No 5, Tony Eromosele Street Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos wey worth ₦850,000,000.00 only, wit money wey you know or suppose know say form part of proceeds from unlawful act and you thereby commit offence contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of di Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022."
Anoda count read: "Say you, Jude Okoye Chigozie and Northside Music Ltd sometime in 2022, for Lagos, within di jurisdiction of dis Honourable Court, indirectly use bureau de change to convert di sum of $1,019,762.87 (One million nineteen thousand, seven hundred and six-two dollars eighty-seven cents), wey dey Access Bank Plc wey Northside Music Ltd dey operate and convert am to di naira equivalent wey you spread into various bank accounts and you get intention to hide di money wey be part of di proceeds an unlawful act and thereby commit offence contrary to Section 18 (2)(a) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of di Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022."
Jude bin deny di allegations, and call dem baseless and defamatory.
Di first time we torchlight dis mata na for August 2024, wen Paul tok about am for interview wey im bin do.
Paul for di interview also mention one case e get wit Nigeria corruption police, Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for December 2023, wey e allege say na im twin brother set am up wit dem.
E say im land EFCC custody afta one petition wey im twin brother petition di EFCC to arrest am on multiple charges, wey include im lifestyle.
E claim say even though di EFCC clear am of all allegations afta thorough investigation, im twin brother no gree to apologise for di false claims.
"Dis year, EFCC bin invite me afta dem receive one petition against me from my twin brother. I no ever tink say [our beef] go go dis far. I tink say na just music," e tok.
Peter later deny di claim for open letter say di EFCC case na against Jude Okoye and im wife.