EFCC’s Case Against Jude Okoye Stalls Over Peter’s Absence
The much-anticipated cross-examination of Peter Okoye in the fraud trial of his elder brother, Jude Okoye, collapsed before it could begin on Tuesday, after the singer failed to appear at the Federal High Court in Lagos, forcing Justice Alexander Owoeye to adjourn proceedings to September 21, 2026.
Jude Okoye, former manager of the defunct music duo P-Square, and his company, Northside Music Limited, are facing a seven-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged fraudulent transactions involving N1.3 billion and $1 million. The defendants pleaded not guilty when arraigned.
At the resumed hearing, which had been fixed for the cross-examination of the nominal complainant, EFCC counsel G.C. Akaogu told the court the witness could not attend because his flight from Abuja to Lagos had been rescheduled. According to the prosecutor, Peter contacted him to explain the situation before he applied for an adjournment.
Defence counsel Clement Onwuewunor (SAN) disputed that account. While confirming he had been told of the absence, the senior advocate said information available to him indicated the witness had not left Lagos.
“The prosecutor informed me of the development when I was at Falomo, close to the court. I complained bitterly, because I ought to be in Akure for a matter,” he told the court.
He added: “In fact, I was just told that the witness did not travel, he is in Lagos and I do not know why the prosecutor said his flight was rescheduled.”
The adjournment is the latest delay in a case that has gripped Nigeria’s entertainment industry for more than a year. The matter stems from a 2024 petition by Peter, who accused Jude, P-Square’s former manager, of financial misconduct, alleging that he diverted group funds, operated 47 undeclared bank accounts, and manipulated the shareholding structure of their jointly owned company, Northside Entertainment Ltd.
The EFCC’s case rests partly on documentary evidence. One charge alleges that Jude used Northside Music Ltd to purchase a property in Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, for N850 million, while another states that he converted $1,019,762.87 through a Bureau de Change and moved the funds across several accounts.
Peter has testified that he discovered Northside Music Limited had been registered without his knowledge, with Jude owning 20 per cent and his wife holding 80 per cent.
Cross-examination has already produced sharp exchanges. In February 2026, before Justice Rahman Oshodi at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, Peter admitted he was a co-signatory to the Northside Entertainment Limited account, contradicting his earlier claim that Jude was the sole signatory.
In an earlier sitting, the defence also challenged a statement presented to the EFCC that described Peter as a university graduate, leading to questions over aspects of his testimony.
The brothers’ rift runs deep. They first parted ways in 2017 over disagreements about Jude’s role as manager, briefly reconciled in November 2021 after a five-year feud, before Paul Okoye confirmed in August 2024 that P-Square no longer exists.
With the trial now pushed to late September, the defence is expected to resume its challenge of Peter’s testimony, which the prosecution considers central to proving how the disputed funds were allegedly moved.