Jude Okoye, the elder brother and former manager of the defunct music group P-Square, has been remanded in prison after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned him on fresh fraud charges.
The new case comes just hours after he was granted N100 million bail in a separate fraud case.
According to reports, Jude Okoye and his company, Northside Music Limited, were charged with dishonestly converting music royalties belonging to his brother, Peter Okoye (Mr P), amounting to $1,019,763.87 and £34,537.59 between 2016 and 2023.
Details of the Allegations
The EFCC prosecutor, Mohammed Bashiru, accused Okoye of diverting:
• $767,544.15 from Lex Records Limited
• £34,537.59 from the same company
• $133,566.49 from Kobalt Music
• $118,652.23 from Mtech Limited
The funds were reportedly paid as music royalties for Peter Okoye’s digital music distribution — but Jude allegedly converted them for his personal use without his brother’s consent.
Court Proceedings
Okoye pleaded not guilty to all charges during the arraignment at the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
His lawyer, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), applied for bail, but the court refused to grant it immediately — ordering Jude to remain in custody until the next hearing on March 6.
The trial is set to begin on May 16 and 23.
Mixed Reactions from Netizens
The news has sparked mixed reactions across social media.
Some fans expressed sympathy for Jude, while others blamed him for the fallout of P-Square and the group’s eventual split.
Here are some reactions:
@iam_davies wrote:
“Jude ruined P-Square and now he’s paying for it.”
@official_blings commented:
“Blood is thicker than water, Peter should forgive him.”
@king_stephen added:
“If he did it, then he deserves to face the law!”
Meanwhile, others are urging Peter and Paul Okoye to intervene and settle the matter out of court.
Do you think Peter Okoye should forgive his brother or let the law take its course?
