Crime
EFCC Presents First Witness, Peter Okoye Against Ex-P-Square Manager In Alleged $1m, £34,537 Fraud
EFCC Presents First Witness, Peter Okoye Against Ex-P-Square Manager In Alleged $1m, £34,537 Fraud
EFCC presents first witness, Peter Okoye against ex-P-Square manager in alleged $1m, £34,537 fraud. The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, May 16, 2025, presented its first prosecution witness, PW1, Peter Obumuneme Okoye,( a.k.a Mr P) against Jude Chigozie Okoye, elder brother and former Manager of Paul and Peter Okoye, before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
Okoye is standing trial alongside his company, Northside Music Ltd., on a four-count charge bordering on alleged stealing to the tune of $1m and £34,537 .
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mohammed Bashir, the PW1 told the court that his brother’s wife, Ifeoma, owned 80 per cent of Northside Music Ltd, while Jude retained the remaining 20 percent shares.
He said: “ I went to the EFCC with my lawyer to submit the petition on January 22, 2024. I initially wrote Northside Music as the respondent. But upon various investigations carried out by the Commission, it was discovered that Jude’s wife, Ifeoma, is the owner of the company because she owes 80 per cent shares, while Jude retains the remaining 20 per cent.
“I submitted the petition and I never spoke to either Paul or Jude until early April in 2024 when the EFCC asked if my twin brother was involved and I said I did not know.
“The Commission discovered there were over 47 bank accounts used by Jude to receive royalties.”
He also told the court that though both Paul and Jude were later invited by the Commission, the latter was detained.
In his further evidence, he said: “Jude never denied that he committed the crime. However, my twin brother told me during a meeting at the EFCC office that our elder brother owns P-Square.
“Paul told me Jude owns 40 per cent, while the two of us owe 30 per cent each.
“Ifeoma was never part of our engagement and I was not aware when Northside Music was registered.
“Northside Music, according to my findings, was registered in 2015 and had been operating illegally two years prior to our break-up.”
The prosecution, thereafter, sought to tender the petition dated January 22, 2024.
There was no objection to its admissibility by the lead counsel to the defendants, Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN.
Earlier in the proceedings, the witness had told the court that he and his twin brother, Paul, started their music career in 1999.
He had also told the court that between 2005 and 2006, they floated a company, Northside Entertainment Ltd, where they were directors and shareholders.
He, however, said Jude was the sole signatory to the company’s three accounts domiciled in Eco Bank, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and Zenith Bank.
“ They were both Naira and Dollar accounts and Jude was the sole manager of all the accounts.
“In September 2017, P-Square broke up and we came back together in November 2021.
“Within the period, I never received any royalty paid into our company.
“Before we broke up in 2017, every royalty was being paid into Northside Entertainment Ltd., where the three of us were shareholders.
“We have two aggregators (streaming platforms that generate income): I-rocking.com and Free me digital, which I was aware of.
“When people play our songs on their mobile phones, it generates income: and so, we receive funds from these two aggregators prior to our split.”
Peter Okoye
The PW1, who said he went solo as Mr P after the group broke up and got a different manager, further told court that “ When we got back without him being our manager, I discovered a similar company was run by our brother known as Northside Music.
“I started seeing some discrepancies in the way royalties were sent to me and my twin brother . When I went for a tour in London, some individual approached us if we would like to sell our catalogs, but they needed to see the back-end.
“After so much attempt to get the back-end from Jude, I discovered that he had tampered with the original one, which made over seven companies to have a rethink of purchasing the catalogs.”
The case was adjourned till May 23 for continuation of trial.
Nigerian Police Foil Bandit Attack in Sokoto, Recover Rocket Launchers
The Sokoto State Police Command has foiled an attempted bandit attack on Tsabre community in Isa Local Government Area, recovering two rocket launchers and other items abandoned by the fleeing attackers.
Eereporter.com
The incident occurred around 1am on Friday when the armed men reportedly invaded the village and opened sporadic gunfire, causing panic among residents.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmad Rufa’i, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday.
He said the Divisional Police Officer in Isa, upon receiving a distress call, immediately mobilised tactical teams, including operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and Violent Crime Response Unit, to confront the attackers.
According to him, the police engaged the bandits in a gun battle, forcing them to retreat into a nearby forest.
“The tactical teams engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel that lasted for some time. Due to the superior firepower and tactical positioning of the police operatives, the bandits were overpowered and forced to escape into the nearby forest with their casualties,” Rufa’i said.
He added that the police subsequently combed the surrounding bushes and recovered two rocket launchers and two empty AK-47 magazines.
Other items recovered included a Techno keypad phone without a battery, a touch light, an Army jungle hat, a sweater cap, five pairs of sandals and a rain jacket.
The Commissioner of Police, Hayatu Shaffa, commended the officers for their swift response and courage during the operation.
Shaffa reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.
Police
He also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons and activities to the police.
The CP further appealed to residents to report anyone with suspected gunshot wounds seeking medical attention to the nearest police station, as efforts continue to track the fleeing attackers.
Eereporter.com
Navy Rescues 2 Kidnapped Victims, Recovers Stolen Outboard Engines in Akwa Ibom
The Nigerian Navy has rescued 2 kidnapped victims and recovered several stolen outboard engines during an operation against sea robbery and kidnapping in the Ibeno general area of Akwa Ibom State on 30 September 2026.
Eereporter.com
The operation followed credible information on the activities of suspected sea robbers and kidnappers targeting fishermen and forcibly taking away fishing boats and outboard engines. In response, the Nigerian Navy Ship JUBILEE Maritime Quick Response Team, Ibeno, swiftly mobilised to the area to counter the threat.
During the operation, the naval team encountered 2 boats suspected to be operated by the criminals, prompting the occupants to flee into adjoining creeks. In the ensuing pursuit, the suspects abandoned one of the boats containing several stolen outboard engines and the 2 kidnapped victims, who were immediately rescued by the naval team and escorted to safety. The recovered outboard engines were secured for verification and further necessary action, while efforts are ongoing to locate and apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The successful operation underscores the Nigerian Navy’s sustained commitment to Search and Rescue (SAR), the protection of lives and the security of legitimate maritime activities across Nigeria’s waters. Through its network of ships, bases, surveillance systems, maritime quick response teams and other operational elements, the Nigerian Navy continues to maintain a presence across the maritime domain, enabling timely responses to distress situations and emerging security threats.
Navy
The operation also demonstrates the importance of credible intelligence and community support in enhancing maritime security. The Nigerian Navy therefore encourages coastal communities, fishermen and other maritime stakeholders to continue providing timely information that could assist in preventing criminal activities and responding rapidly to persons in distress.
The Nigerian Navy remains resolute in safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime domain and will continue to sustain proactive patrols, Search and Rescue operations, and intelligence-driven interventions aimed at protecting lives and property while denying criminal elements freedom of action in the nation’s waterways.
Eereporter.com
Cyber-Fraud: EFCC Secures Final Forfeiture of 431 Phones from Chinese Convicts
The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, secured the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones to the Federal Government.
Eereporter.com
The mobile phones were linked to Chinese cyber-fraud operators who had previously been convicted by the court.
Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos issued the forfeiture order following a motion on notice filed by the EFCC through its counsel, Hannatu Kofarnaisa.
The court had earlier granted an interim forfeiture order on July 8, 2026, directing the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper to give interested persons or entities an opportunity to show cause why the phones should not be permanently forfeited.
While moving the application for final forfeiture, Kofarnaisa informed the court that the EFCC had complied with the directive by publishing the notice in The Guardian newspaper on August 11, 2026.
She added that no individual or entity came forward to contest the forfeiture within the period stipulated by the court.
The application was supported by an affidavit deposed to by an EFCC operative, Christopher Augustine, who detailed the findings of the Commission’s investigation.
According to the affidavit, the 431 mobile phones were linked to a cyber-fraud operation allegedly involving Chinese and Nigerian youths at a facility known as “HK” in Victoria Island, Lagos which was used to train and deploy Nigerian youths and foreign nationals to carry out romance, investment and cryptocurrency fraud.
While noting that victims in the United States, Canada, Mexico and parts of Europe were major targets, he revealed that a sting operation conducted on December 10, 2024, led to the arrest of more than 700 individuals, including about 500 Nigerians, 148 Chinese , 40 Filipinos and other foreign nationals.
The affidavit also stated that Genting International Company Limited (GICL), allegedly controlled by Huang Haoyu, also known as Ken, a Chinese and other foreign nationals, were involved in the operation.
According to the EFCC, Huang and GICL were subsequently charged with seven counts bordering on cyber terrorism, possession of fraudulent documents, failure to declare activities to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML), illegal foreign exchange transactions and money laundering.
The Commission stated that Huang and GICL pleaded guilty to the charges and were subsequently convicted and sentenced by the court.
He stated that the 431 devices were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and were therefore subject to forfeiture pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
Fraud
After hearing the submissions of the EFCC and reviewing the affidavit evidence before the court, Justice Dipeolu held that the application had merit.
The judge consequently ordered the final forfeiture of the 431 mobile phones to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Eereporter.com
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