Nigerian Copyright Commission v. Emmanuel Analike & Netnaija Media Enterprises
| Field | Information |
| NIPJD Citation | NIPJD/FHC/2026/FHC-ABJ-CR-422-25 |
| Document Type | Case Record |
| Court | Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division |
| Charge No. | FHC/ABJ/CR/422/25 |
| Date Filed | 2 March 2025 |
| Date of Arraignment | 4 March 2026 |
| Judge | Hon. Justice Suleiman Liman |
| Jurisdiction | Nigeria |
| Area of Law | Copyright |
| Subject | Online Copyright Infringement; Online Piracy; Unauthorized Reproduction and Distribution of Copyright Works; Audiovisual Works; Musical Works |
| Status | Pending |
| Relevant Law | Copyright Act, 2022 (Sections 44(1)(a), 44(1)(c), 44(2)(c), and 44(7)) |
| Source Reliability | Official Government Publication; Court Proceedings; News Reports |
BETWEEN
NIGERIAN COPYRIGHT COMMISSION …………………………………. Complainant
AND
EMMANUEL ANALIKE ……………………………………………………. 1st Defendant
NETNAIJA MEDIA ENTERPRISES ……………………………………… 2nd Defendant
Appearances: Gladys Isaac-Ojo, Esq. for the Prosecution; Nnaemeka Ejiofor, Esq. for the Defendants.
Copyright Infringement, Online Piracy, Digital Distribution of Copyright Works, Possession of Infringing Copies, Audiovisual Works, Musical Works, Section 44(1)(a), Copyright Act 2022 — The Nigerian Copyright Commission charged Emmanuel Analike, Chief Executive Officer of Netnaija Media Enterprises, and the company with four counts of copyright infringement for allegedly possessing, reproducing, distributing and making available unauthorized copies of protected audiovisual and musical works through the NetNaija platform without the authorization of the copyright owners. The prosecution further alleged that the defendants produced over 1,458 infringing copies of audiovisual works for commercial purposes contrary to section 44(1)(a) of the Copyright Act, 2022. The defendants pleaded not guilty.
I. FACTS
The Nigerian Copyright Commission commenced criminal proceedings against Emmanuel Analike, Chief Executive Officer of Netnaija Media Enterprises, alleging that the NetNaija platform was used to reproduce, distribute and make available copyrighted audiovisual and musical works without the authorization of the copyright owners.
The Commission alleged that the defendants possessed infringing copies of protected works otherwise than for private or domestic use and commercially exploited those works through the operation of the NetNaija website.
According to the charge, the defendants also produced more than 1,458 infringing copies of audiovisual works for business purposes in violation of section 44(1)(a) of the Copyright Act, 2022.
On 4 March 2026, Emmanuel Analike appeared before the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Hon. Justice Suleiman Liman, where he pleaded not guilty to all four counts.
Following the arraignment, defence counsel informed the court that a bail application had previously been filed. The prosecution opposed the application, after which the court ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of the bail application.
II. Charges
The defendants were arraigned on a four-count charge alleging offences under the Copyright Act, 2022, including:
- Possession of infringing copies of protected copyright works otherwise than for private or domestic use.
- Production of infringing copies of audiovisual works for commercial purposes without the authorization of the copyright owners.
- Distribution and communication of infringing copyright works to the public through an online platform.
- Producing more than 1,458 infringing copies of audiovisual works for business purposes contrary to section 44(1)(a) of the Copyright Act, 2022.
III. Proceedings Timeline
| Date | Proceedings |
| 2 March 2025 | The Nigerian Copyright Commission filed Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/422/25 before the Federal High Court, Abuja. |
| 4 March 2026 | Emmanuel Analike was arraigned before Hon. Justice Suleiman Liman on four counts of copyright infringement. |
| 4 March 2026 | The defendant pleaded not guilty to all counts. |
| 4 March 2026 | Defence counsel informed the court that a bail application had already been filed. |
| 4 March 2026 | The prosecution opposed the bail application. |
| 4 March 2026 | The court remanded the defendant at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of the bail application. |
| 9 March 2026 | The court fixed the matter for ruling on the defendant’s bail application. |
IV. Current Status
The proceedings remain pending before the Federal High Court, Abuja.
As of the latest publicly available information, no ruling on the bail application, substantive trial, conviction, acquittal, or final judgment has been reported publicly.
Relevant Law
Related Cases
- Nigerian Copyright Commission v. Chukwu Arisi & Another — Criminal prosecution involving alleged copyright infringement and piracy offences.
- Nigerian Copyright Commission v. Emordi Henry Chukwuma — Federal High Court decision on possession and use of illegal smart cards for unauthorized rebroadcasting of copyright works.
- Nigerian Copyright Commission v. Nworie Anayo — Federal High Court decision involving possession of infringing copies of copyright works and sentencing following a guilty plea.
- Ubi Bassey Eno v. Nigerian Copyright Commission — Court of Appeal decision concerning illegal rebroadcasting and transmission of copyrighted broadcast signals.