Court sends Netnaija CEO Emmanuel Analike to Kuje prison over copyright violations

Music-wap March 6th, 2026, 7:10 pm

Afederal high court sitting in Abuja has ordered the remand of Emmanuel Analike, CEO of Netnaija Media Enterprises, at the Kuje Correctional Centre over alleged copyright violations.

Analike was arraigned by the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) on Wednesday.

The commission accused him of using his online platform to illegally distribute movies and other content owned by third parties, making them available for public download.

Prosecution counsel Gladys Isaac-Ojo told the court that the case was scheduled for the defendant’s arraignment.

Isaac-Ojo, who heads the NCC’s legal unit, accused the Netnaija CEO of committing offences under section 44(1)(a) of the Copyright Act, 2022, in connection with alleged copyright violations involving digital media content distributed through an online platform.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read in court.

Nnemeka Ejiofor, lawyer to Analike, subsequently applied for his bail, informing the court that the application was filed on Monday and supported by 23 paragraphs of affidavits and a written address.

Suleiman Liman, the judge, declined to deliver an immediate ruling. He adjourned the bail application to March 9, 2026, and ordered that Analike be remanded in Kuje prison pending the hearing.

Movie makers have long complained about the saturation of online platforms that allow users to download their movies for free, thereby making them run into loss.

Should websites that allow free movie downloads be banned in Nigeria? Share your thoughts in the comment below.