A Lagos court has ordered the remand of Jude Chigozie Okoye, the older brother and former manager of the popular musical duo P-Square, following his arraignment on fresh fraud charges.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought a four-count charge against him, accusing him of misappropriating over $1 million and £34,537.59 in music royalties meant for Peter Okoye.
The EFCC presented the case before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday.
According to the prosecution, Okoye, along with his company, Northside Music Ltd, allegedly diverted digital music distribution royalties belonging to P-Square between 2016 and 2023. The anti-corruption agency claimed that these funds were fraudulently converted for personal use in violation of Sections 278 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
One of the charges stated that between 2016 and 2023, Okoye dishonestly took $767,544.15 paid by Lex Records Limited for P-Square’s digital music royalties, depriving Peter Okoye of his rightful earnings. Another charge accused him of converting £34,537.59, also from Lex Records, for personal use. Additional allegations included the diversion of $133,566.49 from Kobalt Music Services Limited and $118,652.23 from Mtech Limited, both paid as music royalties.
When the charges were read, Okoye pleaded not guilty.
The EFCC’s prosecution counsel, M.K. Bashir, requested a trial date and asked the court to remand him in a correctional facility.
However, Okoye’s defense counsel, Clement Onwenwnor, SAN, urged the court to grant his client bail and requested that he be held in EFCC custody pending the bail hearing.
He argued that Okoye had recently been arraigned on a similar case before Justice A.O. Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, where he was granted bail on March 3, 2025.
The EFCC objected to the defense’s request, insisting that Okoye should be remanded in prison since he had already taken his plea.
“Since he has already taken his plea, we urge the court to remand him in the correctional facility,” he said.
Justice Oshodi sided with the prosecution and ruled that Okoye be held at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre until his bail application is heard. The judge then adjourned the bail hearing to March 6, 2025, while the trial is set to begin on May 16 and 23, 2025.
(Politics Nigeria)
