Court Orders Runtown to Pay ₦319 Million to Former Record Label Eric Many

Runtown (Nigerian singer and songwriter)

Nigerian recording artist Runtown, legally known as Douglas Jack Agu, has suffered a significant legal setback following a judgment by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja.

The court held that Runtown remains bound by his recording agreement with his former record label, Eric Many Entertainment, and ordered him to pay ₦319 million in total.

According to the court order dated July 16, 2026, Justice O. A. Musa ruled that the recording agreement executed between Eric Many Entertainment and Runtown in June 2016 remains valid and binding, holding that it "has not been terminated in accordance with the provisions of the agreement" and continues to subsist between both parties.

The court ordered Runtown, who was initially signed by Eric Many Entertainment in May 2014, to pay ₦53 million in costs and damages. It also awarded the record label ₦266 million, payable forthwith, being the outstanding balance of the label’s investment and expenses under the contract that had yet to be recouped.

Justice Musa further declared that Runtown remains under contractual obligations to the label and restrained him from breaching the recording agreement while the matter remains before the court.

The court held that the singer is obligated to perform his contractual duties under the agreement until the legal dispute is finally resolved. It also restrained him from taking any action inconsistent with the agreement, including actions that could amount to a breach of the contract.

Furthermore, the ruling stated that the contractual relationship between Runtown and Eric Many Entertainment remains in force. Consequently, any performances, appearances, recordings, tours, or other commercial activities governed by the agreement would remain subject to its terms until the court reaches a final determination.

The court also ruled that the name and trademark "Runtown" belong to Eric Many Entertainment.

Accordingly, any engagements, including planned international performances such as a proposed United Kingdom tour, that fall within the scope of the recording agreement must comply with the contractual obligations recognized by the court. Whether any specific event is permitted would ultimately depend on the terms of the agreement and the approval of the record label.

The legal dispute between Runtown and Eric Many Entertainment, owned by businessman Prince Okwudili "Dilly" Umenyiora, Chairman of Eric Many Limited, dates back to 2016 when disagreements arose over the singer’s attempt to exit his recording contract.

At the time, Eric Many Entertainment accused the artist of breaching the agreement by accepting performance bookings, recording music, and planning international tours without the label’s authorization. The dispute led to multiple court proceedings in Nigeria and the United States. In 2016, courts in both countries issued interim orders restraining certain performances while the contractual dispute was being litigated.

In 2018, the parties returned to court after Eric Many Entertainment alleged that Runtown continued to perform and release music despite existing court orders. The label maintained that the artist remained contractually bound and warned that third parties dealing with him without its approval could face legal consequences.

The latest ruling reinforces Eric Many Entertainment’s position that Runtown remains signed to the label and that his recording agreement is still in force.