Peter Okoye, known as Mr P and one half of the now-defunct music duo P-Square, admitted before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Friday that he is a co-signatory to the Northside Entertainment Limited bank account. This admission contradicted his earlier testimony that his elder brother, Jude Okoye, was the sole signatory.
Peter made this disclosure while testifying before Justice Rahman Oshodi in the ongoing trial of Jude Okoye, who faces charges of alleged $1 million theft brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Initially, Peter had told the court that Jude alone managed the company’s accounts and finances. However, during cross-examination, defence counsel Clement Onwuewunor (SAN) presented bank mandate documents showing that Peter and his twin brother, Paul, were also signatories. When asked to clarify, Peter explained that his previous understanding came from a phone conversation with officials from what he called a new bank.
Upon further questioning about the Ecobank account, Peter conceded: My Lord, I am a co-signatory to the Northside Entertainment Limited account in Ecobank. He clarified that Jude was originally the only signatory but later added both Peter and Paul to the account. Despite this, Peter said he never personally signed cheques or conducted transactions.
Peter also reiterated that the P-Square music catalogue belongs exclusively to him and his twin brother, Paul, not Jude. He explained that the catalogue consists of nearly 100 songs across six albums. He further stated that Jude was not an original member of the group, but joined as their manager around 2004 or 2005 after they had worked with other managers. Peter admitted there was no written contract or formal employment letter for Jude’s appointment.
When the defence suggested that Jude played a significant role behind the scenes while the twins served as the group’s public faces, Peter disagreed, insisting, “The success of P-Square was built by me and my twin brother from the beginning.
Peter confirmed that the brothers established companies to manage their music business: Northside Entertainment Limited as a management company and Square Records Limited as their record label, making them both artistes and part-owners. He acknowledged that Jude owned about 40 percent of Northside Entertainment Limited, while he held approximately 30 percent, though he was uncertain of the exact figures.
He also identified Mad Solutions as one of the organisations handling royalty collection and distribution for P-Square’s songs in Nigeria, stating that his share was paid directly into his personal account.
During the proceedings, Peter was asked to verify a signature on a royalty distribution contract. He responded, The signature looks like mine, but I need to examine the document more closely.
Justice Rahman Oshodi adjourned the case to May 15, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.
