26th April, 2024
By Oluwapelumi Oluwayemi
P-Square members, Peter and Paul Okoye, along with their brother Jude Okoye, have been directed by the Supreme Court of Nigeria to compensate a promoter with the sum of N25 million.
The court’s ruling favoured Mr. Patrick Arueze, who accused the musicians of violating a contractual agreement.
Arueze had invited them to perform at a show in Benin City in 2011, but they failed to appear, prompting him to file a lawsuit against them at the Edo State High Court presided over by Justice Esther Edigin as she then was, for a breach of contract.
Attempt by the Okoyes to reverse the judgment through a motion dated 3rd of October, 2016 was dismissed by the court.
Dissatisfied by the decision, the artistes filed a motion of stay of execution at the Court of Appeal, Benin Division which was dismissed and they later issued a cheque through one of the commercial banks.
However, when the cheque was presented to the bank, the musicians instructed their lawyers to file a motion at the Court of Appeal Benin Division to stop the payment but the court dismissed the frivolous motion.
As the legal works continued, the Okoyes filed a motion at the Supreme Court seeking to appeal against the ruling of the Court of Appeal which dismissed their motion to stop the payment of the cheque they issued and joined the bank in the motion.
The opposing counsels faulted the decision as the bank was not a party at the Court of Appeal. Justice Uwani Musa Abba-Aji agreed with the arguments of Mr. Patrick Arueze represented by a team of lawyers led by E. O. Afolabi, SAN, Dr. Samson Osage, Mrs Nosa Festus Ajayi, and others.
The Supreme Court however struck out the application of the applicants and awarded one million naira as cost for the application.
Speaking on the judgment, Afolabi told Vanguard: “Arueze got judgment against them and they now sent a cheque but when we wanted to cash the cheque, they went to court to stop it but the court refused. They went to the Court of Appeal which also refused their stay of execution.
“They went to Supreme Court and the lawyer joined the bank who is not a party to the suit at the Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court was not happy and awarded N1m cost against P-Square and their lawyer did not appear.
“With this judgment, the applicants are to pay over Twenty five point eight million naira having accumulated since 2014 with 20 percent interest.”