A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has dismissed the criminal case linked to the disputed sale of the early music catalogue of Grammy winner Burna Boy, faulting the police for what it described as a lack of diligence in prosecuting the matter.
The case arose from a dispute over the sale of Burna Boy’s early recordings and allegations of fraudulent conversion and breach of fiduciary duty against Aristokrat Records and its founder Piriye Isokrari.
Minority shareholder 960 Music Group, which owns a 40 per cent stake in Aristokrat Music, had challenged the multimillion dollar transfer of Burna Boy’s catalogue from Aristokrat Music to Spaceship Music, the company owned by the singer and managed by his mother, Bose Ogulu.
Court documents showed that Aristokrat Music sold the intellectual property rights and master recordings from Burna Boy’s early career to Spaceship Music in a transaction completed around May and June 2024.
960 Music Group claimed it was not informed about the sale and subsequently filed a suit seeking to void the transaction.
The catalogue at the centre of the dispute includes Burna Boy’s debut album L.I.F.E and the EP Redemption, projects released during his time with Aristokrat Records and widely regarded as key works in his early career. L.I.F.E was released in 2013 under Aristokrat Records, while Redemption followed in 2016 after the singer had launched his own label.
The dispute later escalated into a criminal matter after the Force Criminal Investigation Department accused Isokrari of diverting proceeds from the catalogue sale away from company accounts, thereby depriving 960 Music Group of its share.
The case, “Commissioner of Police v. Aristokrat Records Nigeria Limited & Anor (Charge No. FHC/L/1087/2025)”, came up on Wednesday for arraignment before Justice Kakaki.
However, neither the prosecution nor the defence appeared in court.
The prosecuting counsel was said to be engaged in another matter before the Court of Appeal in Jos, Plateau State, while representatives of Aristokrat Records and their lawyers were also absent.
An application was made seeking permission to explain the prosecutor’s absence, but the judge declined the request, stating that another lawyer from the prosecution team should have been assigned to handle the matter.
The court expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the case, noting that despite multiple appearances by different prosecuting lawyers, the charge had still not been properly served on the defendant.
The judge recalled that substituted service had earlier been authorised after the defendant failed to attend previous proceedings. The court held that there was no reasonable explanation for the failure to comply with that order or move the matter to arraignment.
Consequently, the charge was struck out for lack of diligent prosecution.
The criminal matter was first mentioned in December 2025 and later adjourned to February 10 and April 20, 2026, dates on which neither the defendant nor his legal representatives appeared.
Despite the dismissal, prosecutors may still revive or refile the case after complying with the necessary service and arraignment requirements.
Meanwhile, the civil suit filed by 960 Music Group remains before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. In that case, the company is seeking to nullify the catalogue sale and recover funds it claims are owed to shareholders.
The catalogue dispute has attracted attention because it involves recordings from Burna Boy’s formative years with Aristokrat Records before his departure from the label in 2014 and the establishment of his own imprint, Spaceship Entertainment in 2015. The ownership of those recordings remains one of the key issues before the court.
