Peter Okoye admits getting over $800,000 in P-Square royalties, saying the money belongs to artists, not their brother Jude.
Popular singer Peter Okoye, who was part of the famous P-Square music group, has told a Federal High Court in Lagos State that he received more than $800,000 in music royalty payments from a music company based in France called SACEM.
While testifying on a computer video call before Justice Alexander Owoeye, Peter explained that the huge sum of money was collected between 2016 and 2026 for songs recorded by the P-Square group.
However, Peter made it very clear to the court that he did not give any part of this money to his elder brother, Jude Okoye, because the money belongs strictly to the performing artists and not to managers.
The main reason why all of this is happening in court is that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, known as the EFCC, arrested and charged Jude Okoye and his company, Northside Music Limited, over accusations of fraud and money laundering involving N1.3 billion and $1 million.
While Jude has said in court that he is not guilty of any fraud, his lawyer, Clement Onwuewunor, SAN, questioned Peter to show that Jude was deeply involved in managing the group’s business, holding accounts, and signing music distribution contracts.
Speaking directly under oath during cross-examination by Jude’s lawyer, Peter Okoye insisted that his elder brother was never an official member of the singing group.
Defending his decision not to send any of the $800,000 royalty money to Jude or even inform him about it, Peter Okoye told the court, “No, the money was for the artists”.
When the lawyer asked Peter if his elder brother Jude was actually part of the P-Square music group, Peter Okoye clearly answered, “Jude is not part of P-Square”.
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Explaining further how the group wrote their hit tracks and who did the real work, Peter stated that he and his twin brother, Paul Okoye, wrote, composed, and produced all P-Square songs themselves, even though he agreed that Jude helped to direct some of their music videos.
During the legal questioning, Jude’s lawyer pointed out that Jude was actually the person who signed the official agreement with the French royalty company SACEM.
In response to this point, Peter explained that the paper was signed by “the team”.
However, Peter insisted that signing a business document did not make Jude a member of P-Square or give him rights to take artists’ royalties.
When asked about paper records, Peter admitted that he could not produce any text message or email to back his claim that he asked Jude for backend royalty documents early in 2022. Admitting this to the court, Peter Okoye said, “No. I don’t have any, and I can’t recall”.
After listening to Peter’s detailed statements, Justice Alexander Owoeye paused the court hearing. The judge fixed December 8 and 9, 2026, as the next dates for everyone to return to court to continue the trial.
Jennifer Baba is a journalist, international news correspondent, and writer at Moderncrux, where she covers artificial intelligence, fintech, emerging technologies, global politics, and international affairs. Based in Nigeria, she is passionate about transforming complex global developments into clear, engaging stories that inform and inspire readers.
