The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), in collaboration with the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), has successfully secured the suspension of MovieBox.ng, a website accused of illegally streaming pirated movies, music, and live sports content.
In a statement issued Thursday in Abuja, the NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Mrs. Ijeoma Egbunike, confirmed the website was taken down on July 20, 2025. The action was affirmed by the Commission’s Director-General, Dr. John Asein.
Dr. Asein explained that the takedown forms part of a wider crackdown on online piracy under the commission’s “Stand Together Against Online Piracy (STOP)” campaign, which has received strong backing from Nigeria’s film, music, and broadcast sectors.
“They use multiple mirror domains to access and promote pirated content, with domain histories linked to known piracy operations,” Asein stated, highlighting the tactics used by MovieBox.ng to avoid previous takedowns.
He also commended NiRA for its swift cooperation in suspending the domain and urged internet service providers, registrars, and other digital intermediaries to act quickly on future takedown requests in line with the Copyright Act, 2022.
The NCC noted that it is actively monitoring and working to disable additional mirror and fallback domains connected to MovieBox.ng in a bid to disrupt the broader piracy network.
A public advisory was also issued, warning users against patronizing illegal streaming platforms. Beyond breaching copyright laws, the commission warned that such sites can expose users to malware, identity theft, and financial fraud.