P-square Royalties: Ex-manager Jude Okoye insists on innocence

Jude Okoye, the former manager of the Nigerian music duo P-Square, has vehemently denied accusations of embezzling the group's earnings, issuing a direct challenge to authorities to prosecute him if any wrongdoing is found. His strong rebuttal follows a series of videos released by his younger brother, Peter Okoye, also known as Mr P, detailing alleged financial improprieties.

In his social media response, Jude described Mr P's claims as "blatant lies" and "manipulative tactics." He asserted that royalty payments, backend records, and account signatory details have already been scrutinized during an ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The case remains pending before the Federal High Court in Lagos, where Jude has pleaded not guilty to alleged money laundering charges.

Mr P's accusations specifically targeted Jude's handling of royalty payments and access to the group's digital catalogue. Jude countered by presenting an email dated June 1, 2016, from Arrow Kings and IROKO, which he claims outlined the distribution of outstanding digital royalties. According to this email, Mr P was to receive $12,891 directly, while the remaining funds designated for Jude and Paul were to be paid into the Nosa Entertainment account. Jude contends that Mr P later misrepresented this transaction, creating a false impression of misappropriation.

Furthermore, Jude refuted Mr P's assertion that he was not an authorized signatory to P-Square's bank accounts. He presented documentation, described as FCMB account mandate documents, indicating that Peter, Paul, and himself were all authorized signatories. Jude stated that this issue was addressed during court proceedings, where Peter allegedly acknowledged his signatory status after being presented with evidence. The controversy also extends to the delay in releasing P-Square's backend catalogue and streaming records, which Jude denies, stating Peter requested these documents on a specific date.

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blatant lies and manipulative tactics