$1m Theft Case: Court Hears Jude Okoye’s Wife Holds 800,000 Shares In Northside Music

Fresh details emerged on Friday in the ongoing trial of music executive Jude Okoye and his firm, Northside Music Limited, as the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, heard new testimony concerning the company’s ownership and financial transactions.

Jude Okoye is standing trial before Justice Rahman Oshodi on a four-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which accuses him of stealing over $1 million between 2016 and 2023 through Northside Music Limited. The defendant has denied all allegations.

The latest development unfolded during the cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness, Peter Okoye, Jude’s younger brother and former member of the now-defunct music group, P-Square.

Counsel to the defence, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), presented bank statements belonging to Northside Music Limited, drawing the court’s attention to several transactions made from the account. The records showed multiple transfers to Peter Okoye between December 2022 and December 2023, with amounts ranging from N500,000 to N3.7 million. Additional entries included a N2.5 million transfer to “Titilola (PW1’s wife)” as well as sizeable payments to “Travelling Better,” including N8 million in January 2023 and N6.5 million in February 2023.

In response, Peter Okoye told the court that the account was tied to a joint business arrangement involving himself and his twin brother, Paul Okoye. “This statement of account belongs to my brother and me. We are P-Square. The company belongs to Peter and Paul,” he said, noting that although Jude Okoye handled the registration, the business was collectively owned.

He further testified that his decision to petition the EFCC followed his discovery of what he believed to be improper diversion of funds. According to him, another company, Northside Entertainment Company, was allegedly used in the process. “My lord, we own an entertainment company together, and I discovered another company diverting our funds called Northside Entertainment Company,” he stated.

Peter Okoye also disclosed that Jude Okoye’s wife is a major shareholder in Northside Music Limited, with a holding of 800,000 shares.

During proceedings, the defence sought to tender documents attached to the original EFCC petition, arguing that they were relevant to the case. However, the prosecution, led by M.K. Bashir, objected, insisting that the documents were public records from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and had not been properly attached, despite being Certified True Copies.

Justice Oshodi upheld the objection, ruling, “I reject the documents and mark them as rejected,” adding that the papers did not satisfy the legal requirements for admissibility, even though they were sourced from the CAC and kept in EFCC custody.

Peter Okoye also confirmed under oath that he submitted a separate statement to the EFCC after his lawyer filed the initial petition.

The court adjourned the matter to February 20 and 27, 2026, for further hearing.