Lagos, NIGERIA — Jude Okoye, former manager of the defunct P-Square music group and the older brother to the duo, was remanded in the Ikoyi Correctional Centre after facing seven counts of money laundering involving over N1.38 billion, $1 million, and £34,537.59. Okoye, alongside his company, Northside Music Ltd, appeared before Justice A.O. Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi on Tuesday.
The charges against Okoye stem from alleged illicit financial activities, including the unlawful acquisition of properties and the conversion of large sums of foreign currency. One of the charges specifically relates to a 2022 transaction in which Okoye and Northside Music Ltd reportedly acquired a property in Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, valued at N850 million. The prosecution claims that the acquisition involved funds that were part of proceeds from illegal activities.
Another charge accuses Okoye of converting over $1 million into Naira through a bureau de change operation, a process intended to conceal the illicit origin of the funds. The conversion was allegedly done using the accounts of Northside Music Ltd, with the aim of laundering the money and evading detection.
Okoye, who is also a key figure in Nigeria’s music scene, denied the charges, pleading “not guilty” to the allegations. His legal counsel, Inibehe Effiong, made an application for bail, requesting that Okoye be temporarily remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Effiong also sought an expedited hearing for the bail application.
However, the prosecution, represented by L.P. Aso, opposed the request for EFCC custody, citing the overcrowding of the agency’s detention facilities. Aso argued that given the nature of the charges and Okoye’s legal plea, the court should remand him in a standard correctional facility. The judge agreed, ordering that Okoye be held at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.
Justice Owoeye scheduled a hearing for the bail application on February 28, 2025, and set April 14, 2025, for the commencement of the trial. Okoye’s remand is expected to continue until then, with the legal proceedings set to unfold in the coming months.
The charges against Okoye come as part of the ongoing efforts by the EFCC to clamp down on money laundering and financial crimes in Nigeria. The case has garnered significant attention due to Okoye’s celebrity status and his association with one of Africa’s most successful musical acts, P-Square. The Okoye brothers, Peter and Paul, gained global fame in the early 2000s, but they disbanded in 2016, with both pursuing solo careers.
This latest development is yet another chapter in the Nigerian entertainment industry’s ongoing struggle with corruption and financial mismanagement. It remains to be seen how the case will unfold in the courts and whether Okoye will face further legal repercussions.
For now, Jude Okoye remains in detention as the legal process moves forward, and the public awaits the next steps in a case that could have far-reaching implications for both his career and the broader entertainment sector in Nigeria.
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