After more than two months in prison at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre, former manager and elder brother of the dissolved music duo P-Square has now returned to his freedom.
His release comes after a string of legal fights with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in which he was accused of being involved in money laundering, criminal conversion, and theft of more than €1.3 billion.
Jude was freed from custody on Wednesday night, and he and his family celebrated in a low-key vigil.
In a number of Instagram stories that Jude greeted and embraced his wife and children, Paul Okoye, his brother and close friend, confirmed the release.
After two months, Jude is finally out, according to Paul in the caption, and all of their efforts to thwart his bail have finally failed. Brother, welcome home. #judeengees . Happy birthday, too.
A few close friends and stars, including actor Deyemi Okanlawon, former NFF president Amaju Pinnick, and video director Clarence Peters, were present for the occasion, which also included Jude’s birthday.
Blame Game
Paul directly attributed Jude’s legal plight to Peter on February 28. Calling a spade a spade is what Peter is doing, imprisoning Jude, and saying. Peter and I are also guilty, he said, if Jude is found guilty by them, as is the case with Jude.
Peter, on his part, doubled down on social media on April 15 by claiming silence had almost cost him everything.
Don’t let “family” cause you to drown in silence, you must learn. Over the course of more than 20 years, I almost lost everything. He wrote on X that “family that steals and breaks you isn’t family.”
Read more about Jude Okoye’s $ 50 million bail: an allegation of $1 million theft.
Later, he later made a comment about the incident on comedian AY show, saying that he had chosen to speak out because of ongoing emotional and financial betrayal that had been hidden by family loyalty, which was made even more acute by fans’ constant comparisons to his brothers.
Peter’s testimony
Jude’s younger brother, Peter, wrote to the EFCC to support the allegations against him in a petition.
On April 14, the petitioner, Mr. P, gave testimony to the court.
Peter accused Jude of registering their record label, Northside Music Ltd, in his wife’s name and for years refusing to grant transparency regarding royalty distributions in a statement released on February 14 in front of the anti-graft agency.
He explained to the court how Jude allegedly manipulated backend systems to conceal the true value of their music royalties.
In the months that followed, Peter was left sidelined and financially excluded from the business he helped create, his monthly payments from Lex Records dropped from $8, 000 to just $500 in 2016.
He claimed that all P-Square earnings were funneled into accounts controlled by Jude and that he had contacted Festus Keyamo, the current aviation minister, to mediate. Discussions turned out to be unsuccessful.
Background
Following years of internal strife, Jude and the struggling singers’ relationship ended in 2017.
Through his business, Northside Music Ltd., Jude was closely connected to their activities. Jude was arraigned in two separate courts in Lagos on suspicion of theft and money laundering when his legal problems became public in March 2025.
After the EFCC claimed Jude dishonestly converted $ 767, 544.15 in digital music royalties intended for Peter, the Lagos State Special Offences Court, presided over by Justice Rahman Oshodi, ordered Jude’s remand, on March 4, the court ordered him to pay his remand.
Jude entered a not-guilty plea, but the prosecution requested more time to respond, which resulted in his remand.
Read more about the alleged $1. 3 billion fraud: EFCC arrests P-Square’s former manager, Jude Okoye.
In a separate $1.3 billion money laundering case involving suspicious property purchases and foreign transfers, he had previously been arraigned by the EFCC at the Federal High Court in Lagos on March 3.
In that case, which had a trial that started on April 14, he was given 100 million dollar bail with two sureties.
Before their 2017 breakup, P-Square, which was founded in 1999, gained notoriety with hits like “Do Me” and “Personally” before breaking up with them.
Although they briefly reunited in 2021, a rift developed between their two businesses in August 2024.
Source: Channels TV
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