Peter Okoye, one half of the renowned Nigerian music duo P-Square, has been accused of giving false and misleading information to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), according to defence counsel Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN).
The allegation was made during a contentious cross-examination at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday.
Onwuenwunor told Justice Alexander Owoeye that Peter’s statement to the EFCC contained several inconsistencies concerning his education, access to financial records, and royalty entitlements related to Northside Music Limited.
He claimed that the singer intentionally distorted facts to mislead investigators and obscure the truth in an ongoing fraud case involving royalty payments.
A major point of contention was Peter’s claim about his academic qualifications. Citing his EFCC statement, the defence noted, “On page A5, you claimed to be a graduate of the University of Abuja. That is false. You dropped out in your 100 level.”
In response, Peter said, “I went to UNIABUJA, but that’s not the issue here. I left in 300 level and transferred my transcript to UST, Port Harcourt.” However, when asked to provide proof of graduation, he admitted he had none.
Justice Owoeye cautioned Peter over his combative and disrespectful conduct during the session, prompting several interventions by his lawyer, M.K. Bashir, to calm him down.
The defence also challenged Peter’s claim that Jude Okoye’s wife, Ifeoma, owned 80% of Northside Music Ltd, and Jude held the remaining 20%. Contrary to this, official documents from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) showed that Jude Okoye holds an 80% stake, while his wife owns 20%. Peter acknowledged the error when confronted with the CAC records.
Another contradiction arose over Peter’s claim that he was not a signatory to the company’s bank accounts. The defence presented account mandates showing Jude Okoye as a Category A signatory and both Peter and Paul Okoye as Category B signatories. “This shows you had access to the accounts all along,” Onwuenwunor stated, displaying the relevant documents.
Further evidence presented by the defence included Ecobank statements (admitted as Exhibit P), which detailed royalty payments made by Lex Records via Mad Solutions Limited to Northside Entertainment between 2012 and 2017.
This directly contradicted Peter’s earlier assertion to the EFCC that he was unaware of any royalties or payments.
Onwuenwunor concluded that the discrepancies in Peter’s statements pointed to a deliberate attempt to mislead both the EFCC and the court.
Justice Owoeye adjourned the proceedings until October 23 and November 10, 2025.
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