By RismadarVoice Media, December 12, 2025
The first prosecution witness (PW1), Peter Obumuneme Okoye, in the ongoing trial of Jude Chigozie Okoye, elder brother and former manager of music duo Paul and Peter Okoye, has told Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, that the defendant’s wife owns 800,000 shares in Northside Music Limited.
Jude Okoye, alongside his company, Northside Music Limited, is being prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a four-count charge bordering on theft, involving over $1 million.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
At the resumed trial on Friday, December 12, 2025, defence Counsel, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), confronted the witness with the company’s bank statements – detailing transactions over a period.
Responding, PW1 said the accounts belonged to the joint business interests of himself and his twin brother, Paul.
“These statements of account belong to me and my brother. We are P-Square. The company belongs to Peter and Paul. It was registered by him. I reported to the EFCC when I discovered funds were being diverted, and EFCC brought the matter to court,” he said.
“My lord, we own an entertainment company together, and I discovered another company, Northside Entertainment Company, diverting our funds, I showed it to my brother,” he added.
He further confirmed that he petitioned the EFCC through his lawyer and reiterated that the defendant’s wife holds 800,000 shares in the company.
The defence sought to tender documents attached to the original petition submitted to the EFCC, insisting that they were crucial to its case.
However, prosecution counsel, M. K. Bashir, objected, arguing that the documents were public documents which did not meet legal admissibility requirements.
“The defence merely produced copies stamped as Certified True Copies (CTC). They were not attached to the petition, and they were not in proper legal form,” he submitted, urging the court to reject them.
In a brief ruling, Justice Oshodi held that although the documents originated from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), ended in EFCC custody, they failed to satisfy admissibility criteria.
“I reject the documents and mark them as rejected,” he ruled.
PW1 also confirmed, writing a statement at the EFCC after the submission of the petition by his lawyer.
The case was adjourned to February 20 and 27, 2026, for continuation of trial.
