Jude Chigozie Okoye, alongside his company, Northside Music Limited, is facing prosecution by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on four counts bordering on alleged theft exceeding one million dollars. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.At the resumed hearing, the first prosecution witness, Peter Obumuneme Okoye, testified before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja that the defendant’s wife owns 800,000 shares in Northside Music Limited, according to a statement issued by the EFCC. The EFCC disclosed that during proceedings on Friday, December 12, 2025, defence counsel, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), confronted the witness with bank statements belonging to Northside Music Limited, outlining various transactions over a period of time.
In his response, the witness stated that the accounts were linked to their joint business interests. He explained that the company belongs to Peter and Paul Okoye, adding that he reported the matter to the EFCC after discovering that funds were being diverted. He told the court that they jointly owned an entertainment business and that he later discovered another company, Northside Entertainment Company, allegedly diverting funds meant for their operations.
Peter Okoye also confirmed that he petitioned the EFCC through his lawyer and reiterated that the defendant’s wife holds 800,000 shares in the company under investigation. He further stated that he provided a written statement to the EFCC following the submission of the petition.The defence later sought to tender documents attached to the original petition sent to the EFCC, arguing that they were essential to the case. However, the prosecution counsel, M. K. Bashir, opposed the move, stating that the documents were public records and that only copies certified as true copies were presented.
He added that the documents were not properly attached to the petition and failed to meet legal requirements.In a brief ruling, Justice Oshodi held that although the documents originated from the Corporate Affairs Commission and later came into the custody of the EFCC, they did not satisfy the court’s conditions for admissibility. He consequently rejected the documents.The case was adjourned to February 20 and 27, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.
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