Charly Boy has been arrested by the Nigeria Police in Abuja, a source just informed. Details are still sketchy but we have been informed He is arrested for breach of public peace and harassment of the Director-General of Nigerian Copyright Commission and still in police custody at press time.

Before his arrest today, Charly Boy’s recent actions have been nothing but a display of lawlessness and gangstarism as an ally of Mayo Ayilaran’s led MCSN – Musical Copyright Society Nigeria.

The arrest for Charly Boy might have been necessitated after several reported harassment attempt by Charly Boy and Mayo Ayilaran over refusal of the licence for MCSN by NCC. “It is important that the Nigerian people be reminded that the Mayo Ayilaran/ Charly Boy led Musical Copyright Society Nigeria (MCSN) first applied for approval to the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) in 1993 when Mr. Moses Ekpo was Director – General of the commission. Under Ekpo, NCC refused to approve MCSN based on issues bordering on the accounts and finances of the organization. MCSN rejected the verdict of the Commission and launched a never ending media attack on Ekpo until Mr. Ekpo left office. Ekpo’s successor, Mr. S.O. Williams on similar ground also refused to back the statutory approval of MCSN which resulted in MCSN unleashing a campaign of calumny against Mr. Williams until he died. Similarly, Mr. Williams’ successor, Professor Eyinna Nwauche also vehemently rejected the approval of MCSN. MCSN in 2004 used Charly Boy and his thugs to harass and hound Professor Nwauche leading to his withdrawal from the NCC. The successor to Professor Nwauche and present Director-General of NCC, Mr Adebambo Adewopo who himself was once a lawyer to MCSN, has also rejected the approval of MCSN. Once again, MCSN has hired Charly Boy to use thugs to hound, harass, intimidate and blackmail Adewopo. It is time Charly Boy and his MCSN gang are clearly told that Nigeria is a nation of laws.”, a statement by the Nigerian Music Industry Coalition read.

Earlier, MCSN had sued content users over payment of music copyright royalties but the Court of Appeal has told all and sundry that MCSN has no legal standing to sue anyone in Nigeria.

The NIGERIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY COALITION, only days ago also accused Charly Boy of corruption, as a statement signed by veteran singer Onyeka Onwenu, Efe Omorgbe, Laolu Akins, John Udegbunam and Toju Ejueyitchie read: “The Nigerian people should not be deceived by the posturing and well known antics of Charly Boy. Is there any Nigerian who does not know the antecedents of this man who behaves like he is above the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? Charles Oputa had a historic chance to deal music piracy a deadly blow. Instead, he made millions while pirates had a field day. He had a great chance to address the collective management problems in Nigeria. He looked the other way while his friends perpetrated a monumental fraud on Nigerian artistes and the Nigerian nation.”