On Tuesday, six individuals faced charges in court over the alleged piracy of Toyin Abraham’s recent film, Malaika. The legal proceedings were initiated by the police, represented by attorneys from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (Force CID) Annex Alagbon-Ikoyi Lagos. The accused individuals—Kehinde Oseni, Adekunle Segun, Adebiyi Sodiq, Oseni S. Akano, Agboola Motunrayo, and Adebiyi Suliat—were charged with offenses related to stealing intellectual property, conspiracy, and attempting to obstruct justice.
Prosecutor Morufu Animashaun informed the court that the purported illegal activities occurred in January in Apapa. Despite the charges under sections 411, 972, 415, and 87 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015, the defendants pleaded not guilty.
During the court proceedings, Animashaun urged the court to remand the defendants in a correctional center until the case’s resolution. In response, their attorney, Ganiyu Oyarevuegbe, sought bail for the accused, making an oral request with the most permissive terms.
The police had confirmed the suspects’ arrest in a statement on January 16. Aminat Mayegun, the FCID spokesperson, stated that the individuals were allegedly involved in conspiracy, intellectual property infringement, piracy, and cyber-related crimes related to the unauthorized use of cyberspace for broadcasting the movie. Mayegun highlighted that the criminal complaint was filed by Toyin Abraham and Seun Olayemi, the co-producers of Malaika. The legal proceedings shed light on the challenges posed by piracy and the efforts to protect intellectual property in the entertainment industry.
