Abuja, Nigeria – The Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded the Chief Executive Officer of NetNaija Media Enterprises, Emmanuel Analike, in the Kuje Correctional Centre over alleged copyright infringement. Justice Suleiman Liman ordered the remand after the defendant’s counsel informed the court that a bail application had been filed on behalf of his client.
Okay News reports that the application was submitted on Monday and supported by a 23-paragraph affidavit alongside a written address. The prosecution counsel, Gladys Isaac-Ojo, who heads the legal unit of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, informed the court that Analike is accused of committing offences contrary to Section 44(1)(a) of the Copyright Act, 2022, relating to alleged copyright violations connected to digital media content distributed through an online platform. When the charges were read in court, the defendant pleaded not guilty.
The four-count charge includes allegations of possessing infringing copies of copyrighted works, making unauthorized copies, distributing the infringing materials, and making the copies available to members of the public. Prosecutors allege that the activities involved copyrighted sound recordings and audiovisual works, including movies belonging to both Nigerian and international rights holders.
Justice Liman declined to deliver a bench ruling immediately and adjourned the matter until March 9 for a formal ruling on the bail request. Pending that decision, the court ordered that the defendant remain in custody at the Kuje Correctional Centre. Speaking after the court session, Isaac-Ojo described the arraignment as a significant step for the commission’s enforcement efforts against online piracy.
NetNaija, founded in March 2009, is an online platform offering movies, entertainment gossip, music, and news. The platform started as proudlyboiz before changing to NetNaija.com. In 2023, NetNaija announced it would discontinue its services to the public, stating it would focus on other sections of its operations after growing from a personal hobby to an enormously popular platform. This copyright infringement case marks an important milestone in efforts to tackle digital piracy in Nigeria’s media ecosystem.
