Rapper Ruggedman, Three Others Face Court Over Alleged Burglary and $130,000 Theft, Cybercrime

 

Nigerian hip-hop artist Michael Ugochukwu Stephens, popularly known as Ruggedman, was arraigned on Friday before Magistrate Court 1 in Yaba, Lagos, in connection with an alleged burglary and theft at the national secretariat of the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN). He appeared alongside three other defendants — Fruitful Mekwunye, Boniface Itodo, and Faga Bem-Paul — while two other suspects, Sunny Neji and Zakky Azzay, remain at large.

The court appearance follows a formal petition lodged on May 12, 2025, by PMAN’s legal team on behalf of the association’s National President, Pretty Okafor. The allegations center around a forceful takeover of PMAN’s headquarters located at 4B Hameed Kasumu Street in Chevy View Estate, Lekki, during Okafor’s official travel to Spain in August 2024.

According to police sources and documents presented in court, the accused — described as either suspended or dismissed officials of the union — orchestrated an unlawful occupation of the secretariat, reportedly breaking and entering into the premises. During the break-in, they allegedly made away with $130,000 in cash and two Apple MacBook Pro laptops.

What followed was the organization of a National Delegates Conference deemed unauthorized by PMAN’s standing leadership. During this gathering, the suspects reportedly appointed a parallel executive committee, an action which they bolstered using a consent judgment obtained at the National Industrial Court. The judgment, labeled controversial, was secured under circumstances PMAN leadership described as “dubious,” noting that it referenced an address not recognized as the union’s official base.

Adding to the controversy, the petitioners argued that Okafor’s leadership team was neither served legal documents nor represented in the referenced court suit — suit number NICN/LA/360/2024. PMAN’s National Executive Council has since nullified the said court action and reaffirmed Pretty Okafor as the rightful president of the union.

Sources confirm that the police have filed charges of conspiracy, burglary, and cybercrime against the accused. Authorities also indicated the charge sheet will be amended in forthcoming hearings as investigations develop. All four defendants remain in custody.

Despite police directives from Force Headquarters in Abuja, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Akin Fakorede, advising both factions to maintain the status quo amid the leadership crisis, the accused are alleged to have re-entered the premises on May 8, 2025, and resumed occupation. This defiance, the petitioners claim, was compounded by the suspects’ assertion that their actions had the backing of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police — a claim denounced as false and troubling by PMAN representatives.

The association asserts that it has submitted video and photographic evidence of the break-ins to law enforcement, along with official documentation from the Registrar of Trade Unions confirming Pretty Okafor’s standing as the legitimate head of PMAN.

The court proceedings are ongoing, with further developments expected as the legal process unfolds.