Supreme Court Orders P-Square To Pay N25 million Fine Over Breach Of Contract

The Nigerian Supreme Court has ordered P-Square members Peter, Paul, as well as their brother Jude Okoye, to pay N25 million to a promoter.

The artists were charged by Mr. Patrick Arueze of breaking a contract, and the court ruled in favor of Arueze.

In 2011, Arueze extended an invitation to them to participate in a show in Benin City. When they did not show up, he sued them for breach of contract before the Edo State High Court, which was then presided over by Justice Esther Edigin.

The court denied the Okoyes’ attempt to overturn the ruling in a motion dated October 3, 2016.

The performers were not happy with the ruling, so they went to the Court of Appeal, Benin Division, and filed a move to delay the execution. This move was denied, and they subsequently wrote a check through a commercial bank.

The artists’ attorneys filed a bogus motion before the Court of Appeal Benin Division to block the payment, but the court dismissed it after the check was delivered to the bank.

The Okoyes joined the bank in their action to block the payment of the check they issued, and as the legal proceedings proceeded, they filed a motion at the Supreme Court requesting an appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal that denied their application.

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 said: “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.” [CONTINUE READING HERE]