David Ochayi
(Peter Okoye in a recent interview. Photo credit: BBC News)
Nigerian music star Peter Okoye has openly confessed to collecting more than $800,000 in royalties from SACEM for P-Square’s catalog yet withheld the funds from his older brother, Jude Okoye.
During his virtual court testimony on Tuesday, Peter faced questions over the financial dispute involving Jude, who is currently on trial for alleged fraud charges totaling N1.3 billion and $1 million.
Jude has denied all allegations.
Peter initially alleged that Jude delayed handing over P-Square’s royalty records for over three months after his 2022 request.
However, when presented with proof that Jude sent the documentation within six days, Peter retracted his statement, admitting he had no prior record of the earlier demand.
The singer verified that he indeed received the detailed royalty report, spanning transactions from 2016 to 2022.
He explained that he sought the records due to interest from potential buyers of the P-Square music catalog.
While acknowledging the substantial SACEM payout, Peter maintained that Jude had no rightful claim to the earnings.
According to him, those funds solely belonged to himself and his twin brother, Paul Okoye, as the primary creators of P-Square’s discography.
Peter also confirmed that Jude was never informed about the royalty deposits.
Clarifying Jude’s involvement, he stated that his elder brother only contributed as a music video director, while he and Paul were solely responsible for composing, writing, and producing every P-Square track.
The case has been postponed, with proceedings resuming on December 8 and 9, 2026.
