Jude Okoye Rejects Mr P’s Claims on Royalties, Catalogue Sale

By Adedapo Adesanya

Former P-Square manager, Mr Jude Okoye, has dismissed fresh allegations by his younger brother, Peter Okoye, professionally known as Mr P, insisting he never diverted the group’s earnings.

His response comes after Mr P claimed that the proposed sale of the defunct group’s multi-billion Naira music catalogue collapsed due to financial irregularities, including disputes over royalty payments, backend records and access to the group’s digital assets.

The music executive described the allegations as “blatant lies” and “manipulative tactics,” arguing that the issues raised by Mr P had already been investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and are currently before the Federal High Court in Lagos.

“So, what is he doing, coming out again now, if not to spill emotional blackmail, manipulate, and make me look like a bad person by dragging Paul into this?” he said.

Responding to allegations that he diverted royalty payments, Mr Okoye said the disputed funds were distributed based on instructions contained in a June 1, 2016, email from Arrow Kings and IROKO.

According to him, the correspondence directed that Mr P receive $12,891, while $25,782 meant for Jude and Paul be paid into the Nosa Entertainment account.

He argued that Mr P presented only part of the transaction publicly, creating the impression that he and Paul had appropriated funds belonging to the entire group.

Jude also rejected claims that his younger brother was excluded from the group’s bank accounts.

Displaying what he said were account mandate documents from FCMB, he maintained that Peter, Paul and himself were all authorised signatories to P-Square’s accounts, disputing claims made by Peter.

He further claimed the matter was addressed during court proceedings, where Peter allegedly acknowledged being a signatory after documentary evidence was presented.

Addressing the controversy surrounding the proposed catalogue sale, Jude denied withholding backend records or streaming data from potential investors.

He said Peter requested royalty statements and catalogue documents on October 16, 2022, after which he immediately contacted Lex Records.

According to him, the financial statements were forwarded the same day, while the backend logs were received six days later and sent to Peter without delay.

He therefore dismissed claims that it took more than three months to provide the documents, describing the allegation as false.

Jude maintained that the disputed royalty payments, email correspondence and supporting documents had already been reviewed during the EFCC investigation.

He claimed Peter and his legal representatives were shown the records during the probe and raised no objections at the time.

Accusing his younger brother of attempting to retry the matter on social media while the case remains before the court, Jude said the videos were intended to manipulate public opinion and drag Paul Okoye into the dispute.

Jude said he would leave the issues to be determined by the court, adding that Peter had failed to attend some recent court sittings, resulting in the matter being adjourned until September. He also claimed his bank accounts, passport and travel documents remain restricted because of the ongoing proceedings.

“If I’m found guilty, if they prove I took even one Kobo that wasn’t mine, let them send me to jail. I’m ready for that,” he said.

As of the time of filing this report, Peter had not publicly responded to Jude’s latest claims. The criminal proceedings remain pending before the Federal High Court in Lagos, where Jude has pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him.