Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Nigeria’s biggest copyright collective management organization, is set to begin contempt of court proceedings against Pretty Okafor, the self-styled factional President of PMAN.
Mr. Bamaiyi Adejo, lawyer to COSON, on March 30, 2023, brought to the notice of Justice A.R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, the fact that despite the restraining Order of the Court against Pretty Okafor, Okafor who is not a member of COSON, has continued to make vexatious demands on COSON and make debilitating public statements against COSON in contravention of the subsisting Order of the court.
In response, Justice Mohammed asked Mr. Adejo to take the necessary steps to bring the facts before the court.
It will be recalled that on April 14, 2022, in SUIT NO: FHC /ABJ/CS/389/2021 in which COSON and its officials are claiming damages in excess of N14 billion, a suit in which Pretty Okafor is the 2nd Defendant, Justice Mohammed made a subsisting Order restraining Okafor, the Inspector General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Biodun Eguakhide, and Stanbic IBTC Bank, whether by themselves or their officials, privies, servants, agents or howsoever called from in any way or manner harassing, disturbing, continuing to disturb or preventing, continuing to prevent COSON from lawfully enforcing the constitutional rights of its members, affiliates, assignees and reciprocal representation partners or interfering, continuing to interfere with the internal management, operations, funds of COSON or the bank accounts of COSON or any of the other Plaintiffs or preventing, continuing to prevent COSON, its members, affiliates, assignees and reciprocal representation partners from earning income and sustaining themselves with their Intellectual Property.
Speaking after the court session, Mr. Adejo said, “We are not unaware that there is a group of hungry and greedy charlatans desperate to get their hands on COSON because COSON is the one successful organization in the nation’s copyright industry. The hunger in the land is driving them crazy but COSON is strong enough to take them on!”
Continuing, Mr. Adejo said, “Pretty Okafor may in the past have escaped with acting without self-control and facing no consequences. This time, he will be told that Nigeria is a nation of laws and he will be made to pay for his outrageous behaviour”
