Peter Okoye Dismisses EFCC Court Report as Propaganda

Peter Okoye

Nigerian vocalist Peter Okoye has rejected media reports claiming the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stated it lacks grounds to enactment his allegations that his brothers fraudulently withdrew $800,000 from their associated institution account. The artist, who performs arsenic Mr P, described the sum arsenic jokes and propaganda connected his societal media platforms.

Peter disputed claims that a tribunal league occurred wherever an EFCC researcher made specified statements. According to him, determination was ne'er a tribunal league wherever this assertion by the EFCC researcher was made, straight contradicting aggregate media reports astir proceedings astatine Lagos State Special Offences Court successful Ikeja connected Friday, November 28.

Multiple Nigerian quality outlets reported that EFCC counsel Mohammed Bashir informed Justice Rahman Oshodi that the committee could not validate Peter’s $800,000 claim, stating the bureau does not person grounds and advising that Peter should beryllium it himself. The reports emerged pursuing what journalists described arsenic resumed transverse introspection successful the ongoing fraud trial.

Peter had testified connected May 23, 2025, that caller fiscal records revealed Jude and Paul withdrew and shared much than $800,000 betwixt March 2023 and October 2024, though helium aboriginal altered his timeline nether transverse examination, admitting the withdrawals whitethorn person occurred betwixt 2013 and 2014 instead. The timeline revision occurred during questioning by defence counsel Clement Onwuenwunor.

The lawsuit began successful 2024 erstwhile Peter petitioned the EFCC, accusing Jude of diverting funds belonging to P-Square, operating 47 undeclared slope accounts and manipulating the shareholding operation of Northside Entertainment Ltd, a institution jointly owned by the brothers. The EFCC aboriginal arraigned Jude and Northside Music Ltd connected charges related to alleged mismanagement of implicit $1 million, £34,537.59, and suspected wealth laundering done a bureau de change.

The defence besides disputed Peter’s assertion that Jude operated 47 slope accounts, with Bashir denying the EFCC possessed specified documents and the defence tendering Corporate Affairs Commission records contradicting Peter’s assertion of an 80 percent involvement successful the company. These contradictions emerged during grounds meant to enactment the fraud allegations.

Peter further claimed helium lone discovered the beingness of different company, Northside Music Ltd, successful 2024 aft vocalist Cynthia Morgan sent him a declaration connected Northside Entertainment letterhead, noting albums were credited to Northside Inc adjacent though the declaration referenced Northside Music. This grounds addressed questions astir his consciousness of the company’s operations.

Justice Oshodi declined to bid Peter and the EFCC to supply documents astir the alleged accounts, advising the defence to record a ceremonial exertion instead. The justice adjourned proceedings to December 12, 2025, for continuation of the trial.

The Okoye household quality has fractured relationships wrong the erstwhile agreed philharmonic dynasty. Paul Okoye sided with their elder member Jude and unfollowed Peter connected societal media, with their euphony activities unneurotic stopping and Paul sharing cryptic posts online directed astatine Peter. The twins person not been connected speaking presumption since Peter began testifying against Jude successful court.

The rift besides strained relationships betwixt their wives, arsenic Peter’s woman Lola aligned herself with Paul’s erstwhile woman Anita Okoye, with some women seen taking pictures and going connected outings together. The household divisions widen beyond the ineligible proceedings into idiosyncratic relationships.

Jude was granted bail of N50 cardinal connected March 6, 2025, aft being arraigned connected March 4 connected 4 counts relating to alleged stealing and conversion of royalties from euphony integer organisation and publishing. The charges halfway connected payments from Lex Records Limited for integer organisation that allegedly deprived Peter of his rightful share.

The Okoye brothers archetypal separated successful 2017 pursuing disagreements astir Jude’s relation arsenic their manager. They reconciled successful November 2021 and held their archetypal header performance unneurotic successful December that year. However, Paul confirmed successful August 2024 that P-Square nary longer exists arsenic a group, claiming his duplicate member was down his apprehension by the EFCC.

Peter’s societal media effect suggests helium believes the tribunal reports misrepresent what really occurred during proceedings. His characterization of the sum arsenic propaganda indicates helium feels media outlets are deliberately distorting the ineligible proceedings, though journalists from aggregate publications attended and reported connected the November 28 session.

The divergence betwixt Peter’s relationship and media reports raises questions astir what transpired during the tribunal hearing. While aggregate credible Nigerian quality organizations published akin accounts of the EFCC counsel’s statements, Peter maintains nary specified league occurred. This discrepancy could stem from antithetic interpretations of ineligible proceedings oregon disputes astir what was really said successful court.

The ongoing proceedings has go 1 of Nigeria’s astir salient amusement manufacture ineligible battles. P-Square ranked among Africa’s astir palmy euphony groups earlier their split, with millions of fans crossed the continent and planetary recognition. Their nationalist household quality and ineligible proceedings person attracted important media attraction and nationalist interest.

The lawsuit highlights tensions that tin originate erstwhile household members run concern ventures together, peculiarly successful the amusement manufacture wherever royalty streams, intelligence spot rights and institution ownership structures tin beryllium complex. Questions astir money management, shareholding percentages and firm governance person dominated the ineligible proceedings.

Peter’s petition to the EFCC represented a melodramatic escalation of what began arsenic interior household disagreements astir concern management. By involving instrumentality enforcement and pursuing transgression charges alternatively than civilian remedies, the quality transformed from a backstage substance into a nationalist ineligible conflict with imaginable transgression consequences for Jude.

The EFCC’s engagement reflects the commission’s mandate to analyse fiscal crimes including fraud, wealth laundering and misappropriation of funds. However, the agency’s reported connection that it cannot supply grounds for Peter’s circumstantial $800,000 withdrawal assertion suggests complexities successful substantiating immoderate allegations with documentary proof.

Defence counsel has aggressively challenged Peter’s testimony, pointing to inconsistencies successful timelines, contradictions with authoritative records and changes successful his statements nether transverse examination. These challenges signifier portion of the defence strategy to undermine the prosecution’s lawsuit and show tenable uncertainty astir the allegations.

The lawsuit continues to unfold arsenic some sides contiguous grounds and testimony. With proceedings adjourned until mid December, further revelations whitethorn look arsenic the proceedings progresses. The result volition importantly interaction not lone the Okoye family’s relationships but besides acceptable precedents for however akin amusement manufacture disputes are handled legally.

Industry observers enactment that the nationalist quality of the proceedings serves arsenic a cautionary communicative for artists and managers astir the value of wide contracts, transparent accounting and due firm governance. The quality demonstrates however concern disagreements betwixt household members tin escalate erstwhile spot breaks down and ceremonial documentation proves inadequate oregon contested.