Court Remands Emmanuel Analik for Online Piracy Charges

Emmanuel Analik has been remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre following his arraignment at the Federal High Court Abuja on March 2, 2026. He faces four counts of large-scale online piracy, specifically for infringing on the copyrights of music and audiovisual works belonging to both local and foreign rights holders.

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) alleges that Analik made 1,458 copies of audiovisual works available for trade purposes without authorization from the copyright owners, violating Section 44(1) of the Copyright Act 2022. He is also accused of possessing unauthorized copies for private use and making works available to the public without consent.

The NCC's legal department, represented by Gladi Isaac Ojo, stated that Analik's arrest followed extensive investigations triggered by repeated complaints from copyright owners regarding the Netnaija website, which has since been shut down. Dr.

John Asein, Director General of the NCC, emphasized the commission's commitment to combating online piracy and protecting the rights of copyright owners.