I dropped out at 300 level

There was mild drama at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, today as Nigerian music icon Peter Okoye, popularly known as Mr. P of the P-Square duo, faced intense cross-examination in the ongoing ₦1.38 billion fraud case involving him and the group’s former manager and elder brother, Jude Okoye.

Peter Accused of Misleading EFCC About Education

Lead defence counsel, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), accused Peter of misleading the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by falsely claiming to be a graduate of the University of Abuja.

“Page A5 of your statement to the EFCC is false,” Onwuenwunor told the court. “In paragraph one, you claimed to be a graduate of the University of Abuja, but you dropped out at 100 level.”

Peter quickly refuted the claim, stating:

“I went to UNIABUJA, but that’s not why I’m here. I dropped out at 300 level and took a transcript to the University of Science and Technology (UST), Port Harcourt.”

However, when asked if he had any documentary proof of graduating from UST, Peter admitted he did not.

Heated Courtroom Atmosphere

The tension escalated during the session, prompting Justice Alexander Owoeye and Peter’s legal counsel, Barrister M.K. Bashir, to caution Peter twice for disrespectful behavior during cross-examination.

Company Ownership Claim Contradicted

A major twist came when Peter’s earlier claim—that Jude’s wife, Ifeoma Okoye, owns 80% of Northside Music Ltd, with Jude holding 20%—was debunked using official CAC documents. The records showed the reverse: Jude Okoye owns 80%, while his wife holds 20%. Peter had to concede he was mistaken.

Peter Denied Access to Company Accounts? Documents Say Otherwise

Peter had claimed Jude was the sole signatory to Northside Music Ltd’s accounts, but the defence presented a bank mandate proving otherwise. The mandate identified Jude as a Category A signatory, while Peter and his twin brother, Paul Okoye (Rudeboy), were Category B signatories, indicating they also had access.

Additionally, bank statements from Lex Records were presented, showing that Peter received royalties between 2012 and 2017—directly contradicting his EFCC statement, in which he claimed he never received any such payments.

Justice Owoeye admitted the bank documents as Exhibit P3 and adjourned the matter to October 23 and November 10, 2025, for the continuation of cross-examination and trial.