A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Clement Onwuenwunor, told the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday that Nigerian pop star Peter Okoye of the music duo P-Square made multiple false claims in his statement to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a bid to mislead investigators in an ongoing fraud case concerning royalties and company finances.
During a heated cross-examination before Justice Alexander Owoeye, Onwuenwunor accused Peter of making deliberate misrepresentations about his educational background, financial involvement with Northside Music Ltd, and his entitlement to music royalties.
One of the key issues raised was Peter’s academic claims. Onwuenwunor told the court that in his statement to the EFCC, Peter falsely claimed to be a graduate of the University of Abuja.
“Mr P, on page A5 of your EFCC statement, you claimed to be a graduate. That is untrue. You dropped out at 100 level,” the SAN asserted.
In response, Peter attempted to revise his account, stating, “I went to UNIABUJA, but that’s not why I’m here. I dropped out at 300 level and took a transcript to UST (University of Science and Technology), Port Harcourt.” However, when asked if he possessed any certificate from UST, he admitted, “No.”
Peter’s combative attitude during questioning drew a stern warning from Justice Owoeye, who cautioned him against disrespecting the court and addressing the defence counsel rudely. His lawyer, M.K. Bashir, had to step in multiple times to restrain him.
Further contradictions emerged regarding ownership of Northside Music Ltd. Peter had earlier claimed under oath that Jude Okoye’s wife, Ifeoma, owned 80% of the company, with Jude owning 20%. However, the defence presented the company’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration certificate, which clearly listed Jude as the majority shareholder with 80%, while his wife held the remaining 20%. Confronted with the document, Peter admitted his earlier statement was incorrect.
Another major point of contention was Peter’s claim that he was not a signatory to the company’s accounts and had no access to its funds. In his EFCC statement, he asserted that Jude was the sole signatory. But the defence presented an account mandate showing Jude as a Category A signatory, while Peter and his twin brother Paul were both listed as Category B signatories.
“This proves you had access to the accounts all along,” Onwuenwunor told the court while displaying the document.
The defence further submitted Ecobank statements, admitted as Exhibit P, which detailed regular royalty payments from Lex Records via Mad Solutions Ltd, the company managing P-Square’s catalogue. Contrary to Peter’s claim of being unaware of such payments, the documents revealed steady transfers into Northside Entertainment’s accounts between 2012 and 2017—funds the defence argued Peter benefitted from.
Onwuenwunor said the inconsistencies in Peter’s statements were part of a calculated attempt to mislead both the EFCC and the court.
Justice Owoeye adjourned the case to Friday, October 23, and Tuesday, November 10, 2025, for continuation of the cross-examination and trial.
