ABUJA, Nigeria – NetNaija CEO, Emmanuel Analike, appeared at the Federal High Court of Nigeria in Abuja. He was arraigned in 3 separate charges. These charges are related to the illegal reproduction of copyrighted material. The Nigerian Copyright Commission alleges Analike committed copyright offenses. These offenses are contrary to the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He did so by distributing and making public the available copyright materials on the NetNaija platform without a license. The charge is brought according to Section 44(1)(a) of the Nigerian Copyright Act 2022.
The charges were presented by prosecution counsel, Gladys Isaac-Ojo. She is the head of legal services of the Nigerian Copyright Commission. She informed the court that the charges are brought against the defendant. This follows an investigation by the Commission of digital piracy allegations of works available on the Net Naija website. They claim that the platform is involved in copyright offenses. It hosts and distributes sound recordings and audiovisual works. These works are owned by Nigerian and foreign rights holders. This is done without permission.
The CEO denied all the charges. The judge presiding over the case was Justice Suleiman Liman. The court afterward ordered Analike to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Center. He is waiting for the ruling on the bail application. The application was filed by the defendant’s legal representative, Nnemeka Ejiofor. “The lawyer had earlier filed a motion with affidavit. He also submitted a written statement in the same week. The court had declined to rule upon these,” Mr Ejiofor had told the judge. Justice Liman consequently adjourned ruling on the application to 09 March 2026.
