Lagos, Nigeria –Nigerian rapper Michael Ugochukwu Stephens, popularly known as Ruggedman, was arraigned yesterday, Friday, May 23, 2025, at Yaba Magistrate Court 1, Lagos, along with three others, over allegations of burglary, conspiracy, and theft of $130,000 from the national secretariat of the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN) in Lekki.
Veteran musicians Sunny Neji and Zakky Azzay were reported to be at large as of press time, according to police sources. The other defendants arraigned include Fruitful Mekwunye, Boniface Itodo, and Faga Bem-Paul.
The arraignment follows a petition dated May 12, 2025, submitted to the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police by the legal representatives of PMAN’s embattled National President, Pretty Okafor. The petition, authored by Henrie Eduozor, Esq., accused the musicians of forcefully breaking into the PMAN national secretariat at 4B Hameed Kasumu Street, Chevy View Estate, Lekki, and stealing $130,000 in cash along with two Apple MacBook Pro laptops.
This incident is the latest in a protracted leadership dispute within PMAN. According to the petition, the accused individuals, described as suspended or dismissed members of the PMAN National Working Committee (NWC), allegedly exploited Mr. Okafor’s official trip to Spain in August 2024 to unlawfully declare him suspended from office. However, PMAN’s National Executive Council (NEC) subsequently nullified their actions, reinstating Okafor and ordering a return to the status quo.
Despite this directive, Ruggedman, Sunny Neji, and others allegedly continued to sow discord within the union. They reportedly convened an “illegitimate” National Delegates Conference and established a parallel leadership structure, purportedly backed by a consent judgment secured under “deceitful and clandestine” conditions at the National Industrial Court in Lagos. The controversial judgment was allegedly obtained using an address not recognized as PMAN’s official headquarters, and Okafor’s faction maintains they were never served any court processes related to the suit (NICN/LA/360/2024), rendering the judgment null and void in their view.
Matters escalated significantly in March 2025, when the accused allegedly staged a forced entry into the PMAN secretariat, carting away the $130,000 and other valuables. Despite ongoing investigations by the IGP Monitoring Unit in Abuja, they allegedly returned on May 8, 2025, and again took control of the premises, prompting their re-arrest.
A statement issued by PMAN under the leadership of Mr. Pretty Okafor emphasized that this is not their first offense. The statement noted that the suspects had illegally broken into the secretariat in March 2025, were cautioned, granted bail, but failed to report back to the IGP Monitoring Unit for further investigation. Their return on May 8, 2025, with Mr. Fruitful Mekwunye, led to their re-arrest.
PMAN asserts that the arrests are not about union rivalry but criminal actions. The association stated that police investigations have been concluded, and the case is being prepared for prosecution.
They urged the public to disregard any claims of detention without due process, emphasizing that the suspects are fully aware of the charges against them and are being treated within the bounds of the law.
The petition includes video and photographic evidence of the alleged break-ins, alongside documentation from the Registrar of Trade Unions confirming Pretty Okafor as the legally recognized president of PMAN.
Human rights activist Harrison Gwamnishu took to Instagram on Thursday, claiming that Ruggedman’s detention was connected to the PMAN dispute and that he and others were being “maltreaded” without proper investigation. However, PMAN maintains that the individuals are defendants in a pending court action and persons of interest in ongoing criminal investigations involving conspiracy, cyberbullying, cyberstalking, fraud, impersonation, and misrepresentation.
A high-level meeting convened by DCP Akin Fakorede at Force Headquarters, Abuja, had reportedly warned the group to cease all actions until the legal disputes over PMAN leadership were resolved, a directive the accused allegedly defied.
The charges currently before the court include conspiracy, breaking and entry, and cybercrimes, with police confirming that the charge sheet will be amended at the next hearing. Ruggedman and the other defendants are currently in custody.
