Popular Nigerian rapper Michael Ugochukwu Stephens, widely known as Ruggedman, has been arraigned at Yaba Magistrate Court 1 in Lagos over shocking allegations of burglary, theft, and cybercrime involving $130,000 stolen from the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN) national secretariat in Lekki.
According to a source, Ruggedman was arraigned alongside Fruitful Mekwunye, Boniface Itodo, and Faga Bem-Paul on Friday. Two others linked to the case, music veterans Sunny Neji and Zakky Azzay, remain at large as the scandal continues to shake Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
The police petition, filed by PMAN’s legal team on behalf of the union’s embattled National President Pretty Okafor, accuses the defendants of forcefully breaking into the PMAN office located at 4B Hameed Kasumu Street, Chevy View Estate, Lekki. The break-in allegedly took place while Okafor was on an official trip to Spain in August 2024, during which time the accused reportedly took advantage of his absence to unlawfully suspend him from office without due process.
Court documents claim that Ruggedman and his associates carted away $130,000 in cash and two Apple MacBook Pro laptops during the invasion. Despite a swift intervention by PMAN’s National Executive Council, which nullified their actions and reinstated Okafor, the group allegedly continued to cause chaos within the musicians’ union.
The report further reveals that the accused staged what has been described as an “illegitimate” National Delegates Conference where they fraudulently installed a parallel leadership, allegedly under a controversial consent judgment obtained from the National Industrial Court in Lagos. That judgment, now being contested, was reportedly secured using an address not recognized as PMAN’s official headquarters. The Okafor-led faction insists they were never served any court documents in the suit referenced as NICN/LA/360/2024, rendering the judgment invalid.
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Tensions escalated in March 2025 when the accused reportedly broke into the PMAN secretariat again, with video and photographic evidence already submitted to law enforcement. They allegedly returned on May 8, 2025, and reoccupied the premises despite a clear directive from DCP Akin Fakorede at Force Headquarters, Abuja, advising all parties to stand down until the leadership dispute was resolved in court.
Perhaps most alarming is the group’s alleged claim that they acted with the approval of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, a claim that investigators have described as “deeply disturbing.” The ongoing probe by the IGP Monitoring Unit in Abuja is expected to dig deeper into this allegation.
The current charges against Ruggedman and his co-defendants include conspiracy, breaking and entering, and cybercrime-related offenses. Prosecutors have indicated that the charges may be expanded or amended at the next court sitting. For now, Ruggedman remains in police custody pending further hearings.
The legal drama surrounding PMAN, one of Nigeria’s most influential entertainment unions, has sparked widespread reactions from fans and artists alike. With star names, missing funds, and rival factions in play, all eyes remain on the court proceedings as the music industry braces for further revelations.
