According to The Guardian, the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of Emmanuel Analike, a suspected online pirate, at the Kuje Correctional Centre. Analike is facing a four-count charge brought by the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) for allegedly operating the “Netnaija” website, which facilitated the unauthorized distribution of thousands of local and international movies.
The prosecution alleges that the suspect possessed over 1,400 infringing copies of audiovisual works and managed specialized equipment for digital piracy. The court has fixed today, March 9, for a ruling on the suspect’s bail application, marking a significant escalation in the government’s crackdown on digital intellectual property theft.
Premium Times validated the story, reporting that the “Netnaija website has been officially shut down,” while Daily Post quoted the NCC as saying, “this serves as a warning to all those profiting from the hard work of Nigerian creatives.”
Echotitbits take: The takedown of Netnaija is a symbolic victory for Nollywood. However, digital piracy is like a hydra—cut off one head, and three more (mirrors/proxies) usually appear. The focus must shift to blocking ISP access to these sites.
Source: The Guardian – https://guardian.ng/news/court-remands-online-piracy-suspect-at-kuje-correctional-centre/, March 9, 2026
Photo credit: The Guardian
