The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of Emmanuel Analike, Chief Executive Officer of NetNaija Media Enterprises, at the Kuje Correctional Centre following allegations of copyright infringement.
Justice Suleiman Liman issued the remand after Analike’s lawyer, Nnemeka Ejiofor, informed the court that a bail application had been filed. The application, submitted on Monday, was supported by a 23-paragraph affidavit and a written legal address.
Ejiofor urged the court to grant bail, highlighting that the application was filed within 48 hours of Analike’s arraignment. However, Justice Liman deferred a ruling on the bail request, adjourning the matter until March 9. Pending the decision, Analike is to remain in custody.
Earlier in the hearing, prosecution counsel Gladys Isaac-Ojo, head of the legal unit at the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), informed the court that Analike had been arraigned on charges under Section 44(1)(a) of the Copyright Act, 2022. The charges involve allegations of distributing, copying, and making copyrighted digital content such as movies and music available to the public without authorization from rights holders.
When the charges were read, Analike pleaded not guilty. The four-count charge accuses him of possessing infringing copies of copyrighted works, creating unauthorized copies, distributing the materials, and making them accessible online.
Isaac-Ojo described the arraignment as a key development in the NCC’s ongoing efforts to combat online piracy in Nigeria. She noted that Analike’s arrest followed investigations into alleged digital piracy activities, particularly the unauthorized distribution of movies and music.
Analike’s legal team retains the right to seek bail, which the court will decide on March 9.
Background
NetNaija, founded in March 2009, began as a personal hobby before evolving into one of Nigeria’s most popular digital entertainment platforms. Known for movies, music, celebrity gossip, and breaking news, the platform previously operated under the names Proudlyboiz and TheNetNaija. In 2023, NetNaija announced it would discontinue public services to focus on other areas of its operations.
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