Six individuals accused of pirating Toyin Abraham’s film appeared before a court in Lagos after the movie’s premiere on December 17 and its theatrical debut on December 22.
According to The Cable, a spokesperson for the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos, Aminat Mayegun, revealed that the accused were allegedly involved in a conspiracy, intellectual property infringement, piracy, and cyber-related crimes, including unauthorized broadcasting of the film.
The charges were filed by Abraham and Seun Olayemi, the film’s co-producers.
The suspects, four males and two females, were arraigned at Chief Magistrate Court 1 on Tuesday. They were accused of theft of intellectual property, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice.
The prosecuting counsel, Morufu Animashaun, told the court that the alleged illegal activities took place in January in Apapa and violated sections 411, 972, 415, and 87 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendants pleaded not guilty, but Animashaun requested the court to send them to a correctional center until the case is resolved.
The defendants’ representative, Ganiyu Oyarevuegbe, requested bail using the most permissive terms.
Meanwhile, Abraham recently revealed that she experienced panic attacks and was hospitalized upon learning about the piracy of her movie.