Leading Nigerian sports agency West Africa States Development Forum has raised an alarm that ‘Mr P’ of the P-Square fame is walking a free man after pocketing the sum of N2.8 million, being 70% of a paid appearance fee at an event in Delta state.
Peter Okoye best known as Mr P was due to perform at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State on June 16, 2019 during the event tagged WAYSDF & EYC Championship League Inauguration.
The objective of the event was to raise awareness on youth empowerment.
According to Hilma Charles, Director of Youths and Sports and a board member of WAYSDF who spoke with journalists, the artiste also blatantly refused to refund the upfront money to the organisation that sought to engage his huge musical talent.
The legal representatives of West Africa States Development Forum then lodged a formal complaint to the Inspector-General of Police through a letter dated March 4, 2022 and titled: “Obtaining by false pretence, conversion and fraudulent acts perpetrated by Peter Okoye aka Mr P of the P-Square.”
P-Square’s private phone number which was conspicuously written in the letter’s subject heading has however not been published by Prime Business Africa.
The warrant of arrest signed by CP Idowu Owohunwa, Principal Staff Officer, Inspector-General of Police was issued the following day, but to the chargin of Hilma Charles, Director of Youths and Sports and a board member of WAYSDF, the popular musician has not been arrested since then.
The aggrieved sports administrator expressed his thoughts to entertainment journalists on the contract breach by the music superstar.
“We paid this guy 70% of the agreed sum for a show in Asaba then, because we tried to bring Ecowas State League there.
“Imagine making this kind of advertisement and he never came. Now, we have the upper hand and are winning in court. Now, the court has given us an order for his arrest, but the upper office of the Nigeria Police is demanding an amount we don’t even have now.
“Funny, all the other artists invited showed up. The total cost of the show was over N100m. He demanded $4 million because it was a youth empowerment show. The guy has more financial strength than us, which is why we are unable to arrest him yet. We have the letter of his arrest already.
“His lawyer said that he sent a spy to the venue and that it was not Peter that caused the mishap. The IG of Police ordered the Commissioner of Police, Delta State, to arrest him. We are already in court for a civil matter and we wanted to arrest him for a criminal matter, so he can face both cases because his offense is both civil and criminal.”
The P-Square brothers at the time had not reconciled their differences so were performing at events and releasing their songs individually.
A truce was however called two years later by Nigerian economist and Chief Tony Elumelu who ensured that the family fued between both parties were called off.