Broadcasting
3 Traders Arraigned over Piracy of Nollywood Films
Three Alaba Traders, charged with copyright infringement, on Thursday appeared in a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The accused are: David Chukwudi, Austin Igboukwu, Ugochukwu Ukwuagu. Chukwudi was charged on 11-count charge bordering on copyright infringement and use of premises to promote copyright infringement. Igboukwu and Ukwuagwu were charged on 13-count charge also bordering on copyright infringement.
In the first charge, the prosecutor, Mr K.J Oluwole from the Police Force Headquarters, said that Chukwudi committed the offence on Aug. 14, in the premises of the Alaba International Market. Lagos.
He said the accused forged packets of uncensored Nollywood films. The said films were: “Jennifa’s Diary“, “Lord of War“, “The Village War“, “My kids and I“, “What I want“, “Osinachi my wife’’, among others, for illegal distribution.
Oluwole said Chukwudi also engaged in the unauthorised recording of the said works as well as utilising his business premises for copyright infringement.
Chukwudi, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Justice Muslim Hassan, in a short ruling, ordered Chukwudi to be his remanded in prison while he adjourned the case to Dec. 8 for hearing of the accused’s bail application and commence Chukwudi’s trial.
Meanwhile, Igboukwu and Ukwuagwu were charged on 13-count charge bordering on similar offences also pleaded not guilty to the charges They were alleged to have committed the offences on Aug. 12 also at a shop in Alaba International market.
Both accused were said to have flagrantly packaged for distribution, the following unauthorised works.
The unauthorised works were: “Proposal of Arms“, “Sword of Justice“, “Brave Medium“, “Wedding party“, “The king’s wealth’’, “A trip to Jamaica“ among others.
They were alleged to have packaged the works worth millions of naira,for illegal exhibition and distribution.
The offences contravene the provisions of Sections 58 of the Nigeria Films and Video Censor Board Act, 2004 and Section 20 of the Copyright Act, Cap 28, Laws of The Federation, 2004.
Justice Hassan also adjourned the case until Dec. 8 for trial and hearing of the bail application of the accused. He also ordered that the accused be remanded in prison, pending next adjourned date.
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has announced the postponement of its maiden annual Public Relations, Reputation, Ideas, Concepts and Excellence (PRICE) Awards and Prizes to January 25, 2026.
NIPR
The event, earlier scheduled for December 7, 2025, was deferred to accommodate stakeholders whose observance of Christmas festivities had commenced earlier than expected.
Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr. Israel Opayemi, urged stakeholders to note the new date and prepare to participate in the ceremony.
He said the awards would motivate professionals, practitioners and scholars, while enhancing Nigeria’s global competitiveness in the public relations ecosystem and strengthening brand equity for all stakeholders.
Opayemi reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to delivering a best-in-class award administration and ceremony, describing the PRICE Awards as a credible and enduring platform to identify, celebrate and elevate outstanding individuals, campaigns and organisations shaping the public relations landscape across sectors.
The development of the PRICE Awards peaked in September 2025 when the NIPR President and Chairman, Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku, inaugurated a 12-man committee to organise the maiden edition. The inauguration followed the Council’s adoption of the report of a technical team tasked with establishing the awards.
Netflix has announced a landmark agreement to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max in a transaction valued at $82.7 billion, a move analysts say will reshape the global entertainment industry.
Netflix
The deal, which includes Warner Bros.’ film and television studios, HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Games, was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. Under the terms, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shareholders will receive $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in Netflix shares for each WBD share.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos described the acquisition as “a defining moment” for the streaming giant, noting that the company intends to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations while expanding its production capacity.
“By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies with Netflix’s culture-defining titles, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling,” Sarandos said.
The transaction is expected to close within 12 to 18 months, following the planned spin-off of WBD’s TV networks division, Discovery Global, in 2026. Netflix projects annual cost savings of $2–3 billion by the third year after completion and expects the deal to be accretive to earnings per share by year two.
Industry groups, including the Directors Guild of America and Cinema United, have raised concerns about the impact on movie theaters, while regulators are expected to scrutinize the deal over antitrust issues. Netflix has pledged to continue supporting theatrical releases, with Warner Bros.’ cinema commitments running through 2029.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav hailed the agreement, saying it “combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love.”
Observers note that the acquisition comes 15 years after former Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes dismissed Netflix as “the Albanian army,” underscoring the dramatic shift in the entertainment landscape.
A major shake‑up rocks viewers and subscribers of DSTV/GOTV as many channels are set to shut down and be removed on January 1, 2026.
The trigger for the upcoming shut‑down is a breakdown in negotiations between the owners of multiple global channels and the pay‑TV operator.
As of December 2025, the deal between Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and DStv/GOtv has expired and the two parties have not reached a renewal agreement.
Without a new carriage/distribution agreement, the channels belonging to WBD risk being pulled off the DStv/GOtv line‑up.
This is the most significant content cutback the service has seen in years.
The affected channels are:
Discovery Channel
TLC
Cartoonito
Cartoon Network
CNN International
Food Network
The Travel Channel
TNT
Investigation Discovery
Real Time
HGTV
Discovery Family
PAPSS Cowry to Benefit Manufacturers, SMEs
Access Bank’s Digital Innovation Earns Top Financial Inclusion Award
NIPR Postpones Maiden PRICE Awards to January 25, 2026
CBN’s New Cash Policy: A Welcome Liberalisation or a Risky Retreat?
Africa Must Build Its Own Cybersecurity Intelligence, Says Tizel CEO At AfriTech 5.0
Kaspersky Introduces Cyber Pathways to Support Career Development in Cybersecurity
Nigeria’s $618m Tech Incubator Debuts
NITDA DG Tasks Youths to Drive Africa’s Digital Transformation
Firm Urges Organizations to Check Protection of their Websites Amid Search Engine Optimisation Attack Schemes
Hackers Breach Phones of Dangote and Otedola, Demand Ransom
Broadcasting3 days agoIt is Official, DStv Confirms Termination of 16 Major Channels
E-Financial3 days agoSenate Considers Bill to Empower CBN to Regulate Fintech
Broadcasting3 days agoParamount Africa Shuts Down after 20 Years
General News2 days agoManufacturers Block More Ransomware, But Data Theft Surges – Sophos Report
Telecom2 days agoMTN Nigeria Launches Y’ello Data Gifting Campaign as Digital Connectivity Shapes Festive Celebrations
Telecom3 days agoAfrica’s $1bn Biometric ID Rollout Raises Concerns Over Privacy and Exclusion
Telecom3 days agoSenator Akpoti Tops Google Searches in Nigeria’s 2025 Year in Review
News3 days agoAfreximbank Taps Nigeria to Lead Africa’s Digital Trade Revolution