Former legal counsel to Jude Okoye, Inibehe Effiong, has accused Peter of Psquare of attempting to sway public opinion over the family’s ongoing legal dispute.
Effiong made the remarks in a statement posted on his official X account, in reaction to Peter Okoye’s recent series of online allegations against Jude over the management of Psquare’s business affairs and finances.
According to the lawyer, who disclosed that his law firm initially handled Jude Okoye’s legal defence, Peter’s public comments differ from statements he has made while testifying under cross-examination before the court.
“Our firm started the legal defence of Jude Okoye. We filed applications for his bail both at the Federal High Court and at the High Court of Lagos State. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria later took over the case and continued from where I stopped,” Effiong stated.
The lawyer maintained that Jude Okoye has not been convicted of any criminal offence, stressing that the former Psquare manager remains entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence.
“Jude hasn’t been convicted of any crime by any court of law. We should afford him his constitutional right to the presumption of innocence,” he said.
Effiong also defended the bail conditions granted to Jude, noting that such conditions, including the deposit of travel documents where applicable, should not be interpreted as evidence of guilt.
He criticised Peter’s decision to continue making allegations on social media while court proceedings are still ongoing, describing the move as inappropriate.
“It is baffling that Peter, who is the nominal complainant in the two cases, has resorted to social media trial while the cases are pending before courts of competent jurisdiction,” he said.
The lawyer further alleged that Peter’s online claims contradict his testimony before the court.
“What Peter is saying online differs from the verifiable admissions he has been making under cross-examination in court. He knows exactly what he is doing,” Effiong added.
He urged the singer to channel his efforts into presenting evidence before the court instead of litigating the matter on social media.
“He should focus his energy on testifying in court to support the charges against Jude, instead of resorting to media trial. The cases are in court; we should let the court decide the guilt or innocence of the defendant,” he said.
The legal dispute between the Okoye brothers remains before the courts, while both sides continue to publicly defend their positions.