Singer Peter Okoye has made new revelations in an ongoing legal battle involving his brother, Jude Okoye, over allegations of financial misconduct linked to Northside Entertainment Limited. During proceedings at the Lagos High Court, Peter withdrew his earlier claim that he had been denied access to the company’s bank account. Instead, he confirmed that he is actually a co-signatory to the Ecobank account belonging to the company.
The case dates back to a 2024 petition in which Peter accused Jude, who once served as manager for the music duo Psquare, of diverting group funds and operating several undeclared accounts. He also alleged changes to the company’s shareholding structure and accused Jude of financial mismanagement. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Jude alongside Northside Music Limited on a four-count charge relating to alleged theft exceeding $1 million. Jude has maintained a not guilty plea throughout the proceedings.
While being cross-examined, Peter’s testimony became more detailed when bank documents were presented by the defence team. The documents reportedly showed that Peter and his twin brother Paul were authorised signatories to the company account. Peter explained that his earlier statement about not being a signatory was based on information he received during a phone conversation with bank officials, whom he described as representing a relatively new banking contact for him at the time.
However, he later clarified before the court that he is indeed authorised to operate the Northside Entertainment Limited account. He told the court that although Jude was originally the sole signatory, he later added himself and Paul as authorised signatories. At the same time, Peter insisted that he personally never signed cheques or carried out financial transactions using the account, despite having signatory rights.
Peter also spoke about the ownership and structure of the Psquare music business, stating that the music catalogue belongs solely to him and his twin brother Paul. He explained that Jude was not part of the original musical formation but joined later as their manager around 2004 or 2005. According to him, the success of the music group was largely built through his partnership with his twin brother during their early years as students pursuing music together.
He further explained that Northside Entertainment Limited and Square Records Limited were established to manage their business interests, making them both artists and business stakeholders. He stated that under the arrangement, Jude owned approximately 40 percent of Northside Entertainment Limited, while he personally held about 30 percent ownership.
The singer also mentioned that his music royalties are paid directly into his personal bank account through Mad Solutions, the organisation responsible for collecting and distributing Psquare royalties in Nigeria. However, when presented with a royalty distribution contract during cross-examination, he said he needed more time to verify whether the signature on the document was genuinely his.
The judge, Rahman Oshodi, later adjourned the matter until May 15 for continuation of the trial. The dispute between the Okoye brothers dates back several years. They first parted ways in 2017 following disagreements over Jude’s role as their manager. The brothers later reconciled in 2021 and even performed together at a major concert. However, reports later emerged in 2024 confirming that Psquare had effectively ended as a music group.
