Online piracy suspect remanded in Kuje correctional centre
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has adjourned ruling on the bail application of a suspected online pirate, Mr. Emmanuel Analike, who was arraigned by the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) over
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has adjourned ruling on the bail application of a suspected online pirate, Mr. Emmanuel Analike, who was arraigned by the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) over allegations of large-scale online infringement of musical and audiovisual works belonging to both local and foreign right holders.
At its hearing on March 4, the Court, presided over by Hon. Justice Suleiman Liman, fixed 9 March 2026 for ruling on the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of the application.
According to a statement by NCC Director of Public Affairs, Ijeoma Egbunike, the order followed the submission of defence counsel, Mr. Nnaemeka Ejiofor, who informed the Court that a formal bail application had been filed.
The defendant, Mr. Emmanuel Analike, alongside Netnaija Media Enterprises, is standing trial before the Court in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/422/25, filed by the Commission on 2 March 2025, over alleged acts of online copyright infringement involving the unauthorized reproduction and dissemination of audiovisual works.
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According to the four-count charge, the defendant is alleged to have made, for the purpose of trade or business, 1,458 infringing copies of audiovisual works without the authorization of the copyright owners, an offence punishable under Section 44(1)(a) of the Copyright Act, 2022.
He is also accused of possessing, other than for private or domestic use, the same number of infringing copies of audiovisual works without authorization, contrary to Section 44(2)(c) of the Act.
The charges further allege that the defendant communicated and made the works available to the public through wireless means in such a manner that members of the public could access them at a place and time individually chosen by them without the consent of the copyright owners, contrary to Section 44(7) of the Act. He is also alleged to have been in possession of machines, equipment, devices, and other contrivances for the purpose of making infringing copies of audiovisual works without authorization, contrary to Section 44(1)(c) of the Act.
The alleged acts of piracy were said to have been carried out between 2023 and July 2025, when the defendant was arrested by operatives of the Commission following investigations triggered by repeated complaints from local and international copyright owners concerning the activities of the Netnaija website. The site has since been shut down as part of the enforcement operation.
Speaking to journalists after the court proceedings, the Head of the NCC Legal Department, Ms. Gladys Isaac-Ojo, explained that the defendant was apprehended following thorough investigations into allegations of online piracy involving the unauthorized distribution of sound recordings and audiovisual works belonging to both Nigerian and foreign right holders.
She noted that although the suspect had been arrested in 2025, the Commission could not immediately proceed with the arraignment because the courts were on vacation.
She further stated that the defendant was eventually arraigned on 2 March 2026, when he pleaded not guilty to the charges, after which the Court ordered that he be remanded in custody pending the hearing and determination of the bail application.
Commenting on the development, the Director-General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, Dr. John O. Asein, described the case as a significant step in the Commission’s ongoing campaign against online piracy and digital copyright infringement.
Dr. Asein noted that the defendant’s digital activities had been under sustained monitoring by the Commission following repeated complaints from local and international rights owner groups regarding the Netnaija platform.
He emphasized that online piracy of local and international copyright works poses a serious threat to the creative economy and undermines the legitimate interests of creators, producers, and investors in the creative sector. Stressing the Commission’s commitment to protecting the rights of both Nigerian and international right holders he said, “Nigeria’s copyright system operates within a global framework of protection and reciprocity. The Commission will therefore continue to take firm action to protect not only Nigerian creators but also foreign right holders whose works are exploited within our jurisdiction. Effective enforcement does not only protect the rights of copyright owners but also strengthens Nigeria’s reputation as a responsible member of the international copyright community.”
He reaffirmed that the Commission will diligently prosecute the case to its logical conclusion, while intensifying enforcement actions against piracy networks operating both offline and in the digital environment.
