The Lagos State Police Command brought six suspects before the Igbosere Chief Magistrate’s Court, charging them with the alleged piracy of the movie Malaika.

The accused individuals, namely Adekunle Segun, Kehinde Oseni, Adebiyi Sodiq, Oseni S. Akano, Adebiyi Suliat, and Agboola Motunrayo, face charges of conspiracy, theft of intellectual property, piracy, and cyber-related crimes.

The police prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, informed the court that the suspects violated sections 411, 972, 415, and 87 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015, when they orchestrated and executed the purported illegal act in January 2024.

The suspects have, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

This follows a criminal complaint lodged by Nigerian actress and producer Toyin Abrakam and Seun Olayemi, Malaika’s co-producer, with the police alleging that their latest movie has been pirated.

Malaika was initially premiered in Lagos on December 17, 2023, and subsequently released in theatres on December 22, 2023.

However, the producers informed the police that some individuals unlawfully and fraudulently accessed the movie, uploading it to their website and creating a streaming web link for their social media followers worldwide to view the film freely.

They insisted that this act of piracy not only infringed on their intellectual rights but also denied them their right to profit from the movie.

Actress Toyin Abraham produced and starred in the movie. She revealed that she spent N500 million, equivalent to $554,639, on the movie.

Speaking to the media, earlier in January, she disclosed that piracy of her work had resulted in panic attacks and hospitalisations.

Ms Abraham expressed her determination to fight against those pirating people’s works for the benefit of everyone in the entertainment industry.

Meanwhile, the suspects have been remanded after the prosecutor prayed the court to have them held in a correctional centre until the resolution of the case.