Digital Piracy Under Fire: FG Shuts Down MovieBox.ng in Surprise Operation

According to IReporter Online, the Nigerian government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has taken decisive action against digital piracy by suspending the domain MovieBox.ng—a site known for unauthorized streaming of films, music, and live sports.

The clampdown, executed through the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) in partnership with the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), was confirmed in an official statement released Thursday in Abuja by Ijeoma Egbunike, the NCC’s Director of Public Affairs. The statement revealed that the shutdown became effective on July 20, 2025.

Dr. John Asein, the Director-General of the NCC, explained that the decision is part of an intensified nationwide effort to combat online piracy. He noted that the move has received widespread commendation from rights holders in Nigeria’s entertainment and broadcasting sectors.

Asein emphasized that MovieBox.ng had been operating through a network of mirror domains and clone platforms to continue distributing pirated content despite takedown efforts. “The site is part of a coordinated network that manipulates fallback domains to bypass enforcement and disseminate copyright-infringing material,” he said.

He praised NiRA’s swift intervention and urged digital service providers, intermediaries, and stakeholders to adhere promptly to takedown directives in compliance with the Copyright Act, 2022.

Further action is expected as the NCC plans to shut down additional piracy-linked websites associated with MovieBox.ng. The commission also issued a strong warning to the public against the use of illegal streaming platforms, citing serious risks such as malware infections, identity theft, and financial fraud.