Suffered Panic Attacks, Toyin Abraham Says As Police Arrest 5 For Pirating Her N500m Movie

Nollywood actress, Toyin Abraham, revealed on Tuesday that she experienced panic attacks and had been hospitalised multiple times due to piracy affecting her works.

Speaking in Lagos, she noted that she spent approximately N500 million on her movie ‘Malaika’.

Abraham has actively taken up the fight against piracy for the greater benefit of everyone in the entertainment industry.

She commended the police for their efforts in arresting five suspects linked to the piracy of her movie.

Earlier, the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Ikoyi Lagos, announced the arrest of the suspects, including two women.

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They are accused of conspiracy, infringement on intellectual property, piracy, and cyber-related crimes concerning the unlawful distribution of the movie.

The spokesperson for the department, ASP Aminat Mayegun, paraded the suspects before the press, explaining that they had criminally pirated the movie, ‘Malaika’, which was initially released for cinema viewing on December 21, 2023.

Abraham, along with co-producer Seun Olayemi, filed a criminal complaint, alleging that the suspects had unlawfully accessed the movie, uploaded it to their website, and created a streaming link for global viewers.

The complainants asserted that the suspects infringed on their intellectual rights, denying them movie profits while unlawfully profiting from it.

Mayegun detailed that a joint investigation by the Special Investigation Units of the Anti-Fraud and Cybercrime Sections of the Department led to the arrest of the suspects.

AIG Idowu Owohunwa, in charge of FCID Alagbon, expressed determination to collaborate with the movie industry and the Nigerian Copyright Commission to eliminate criminal elements from the space.

Toyin Abraham expressed gratitude for the police’s commitment to tackling piracy in the entertainment sector.