On Friday, Nigerian singer Paul ‘Rudeboy’ Okoye alleged that his twin brother, Peter, Mr P, was the mastermind behind their elder brother and former manager, Jude’s predicament.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court ordered Jude’s remand after EFCC arraigned him and his company, Northside Music Ltd.
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On Wednesday, the anti-graft agency arraigned him over the alleged diversion of N1.3 billion belonging to the now-defunct music group P-Square.
This newspaper also reported that the brothers have a longstanding dispute centred on royalties, financial misconduct, and the alleged embezzlement of P-Square’s funds.
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Rudeboy alleged that Mr P filed a petition with the EFCC, accusing him and Jude of financial mismanagement, and further announced that the group no longer existed.
However, speaking to journalists outside the courtroom during Jude’s bail application hearing on money laundering charges, Rudeboy insisted that Mr P was unfairly targeting Jude.
He vowed to stand by Jude until justice was served, emphasising that he and Mr P were equally guilty of the same allegations against their elder brother.
The ‘Fire Fire’ crooner said: “I’m here to support Jude because I know the truth. Unfortunately, journalists are making it seem like he’s a fraudster and all sorts of things. Let’s call a spade a spade—Peter (Mr. P) is the one responsible for Jude being in prison.
“You journalists should stop writing misleading stories because the fact is clear: Peter is the one behind this, and he’s the reason Jude is in prison. I’m here to get him out. I never denied that Peter is not my brother. I’m only standing for the truth, and let me tell you something—the same crime Jude is being accused of, Peter and Paul are guilty of as well.”
Bail
During Friday’s sitting, Inibehe Effiong, counsel for Jude, who is facing a seven-count charge, filed a bail application.
However, the prosecution counsel, Larry Aso, objected to the bail request.
He submitted an affidavit that described Jude as a flight risk who might obstruct witnesses.
In defence, Mr Inibehe argued that his client had fully cooperated with the investigation, attended all summonses since the case commenced, and did not constitute a flight risk.
He further informed the court that Rudeboy was present to bail his elder brother.
Upon Mr Inibehe’s identification of Rudeboy, the judge instructed the singer to submit his documents through his lawyer.
Justice Owoeye ruled that the bail application would be heard on 3 March and scheduled Okoye’s trial for 14 April.
Background
On 1 August 2024, this newspaper reported that Rudeboy announced the dissolution of P-Square, a music group that dominated the African music industry for decades.
This decision came more than two years after their much-anticipated reunion.
The twin brothers, who began their musical careers in 1999 and reigned over the African music scene for over a decade, first parted ways in 2017.
After a four-year rift marked by public controversies and strained relationships with colleagues and fans, they reconciled in 2021.
During their separation Rudeboy released hits like Fire Fire and Nkenji Keke, while Mr P dropped tracks such as For My Head and Cool It Down.
Their reunion in November 2021 reignited fans’ excitement, culminating in a performance of their classic hits at the Sierra Leone National Stadium in Freetown.
However, since their latest split, allegations of song theft, mismanagement of royalties, and fund diversion have continued to surface.
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