A Lagos Special Offences Court has granted bail to Jude Okoye, former manager of the defunct music group P-Square, in an ongoing trial over an alleged theft of $1,019,763.87 and £34,537.59.
Justice Rahman Oshodi, presiding over the case, granted Okoye bail in the sum of N50 million with two sureties in like sum.
The court mandated that the sureties must reside within jurisdiction and provide proof of three years’ tax payments.
Additionally, the court ordered Okoye to surrender both his Nigerian and St. Kitts and Nevis passports, while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was directed to notify immigration authorities to prevent him from leaving the country.
During the hearing, Okoye’s lawyer, Clement Onwuenwnor, SAN, argued that the case was a civil dispute between business partners and requested that his client be released to his younger brother on bail.
However, the EFCC prosecutor, Mohammed Bashir, opposed the bail application, citing Okoye’s dual citizenship as a flight risk. He also noted that the charges against him were severe and could prompt him to abscond.
Despite the prosecution’s objections, Justice Oshodi ruled in favor of the defendant, stating that the court had considered all affidavits submitted.
The case has been adjourned to May 16 and 23, 2025, for further hearings
in the sum of N200million, which money was paid to me in the Dollar equivalent cash by the Samson Bitrus. The Dollar was brought to me in my office located at Gimbiya Street, Area 11, Garki, Abuja by Samson Bitrus. We signed the documents together, he collected the documents and departed.”
Jidda admitted that the statement shown to him by Atteh, SAN was his statement with his signature, but could not reconcile the content of the document with what he had just told the court that he sold the house to Mohammed.
Instead, he told the court that it was Bitrus, who told him that the minister was the one buying the property, and that the minister was the one who instructed him to sign the documents with Mohammed Hussein, he stated.
