NCC SEIZES N5OM PIRATED BOOKS IN YABA

Read Time:1 Minute, 20 Second

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has seized suspected pirated books worth N50 million in the Yaba region of Lagos State.

Mr Charles Amudipe, the NCC’s Deputy Director of Operations/Head of Operations in the Lagos office, led the team and stated that the NCC conducted an anti-piracy operation in Yaba Book Market, Lagos.

“During the said anti-piracy operation, five bookshops and three warehouses (parking stores) where suspected pirated books were stored around Yaba Market were visited.

“Materials suspected to be pirated were seized, and owners of those bookshops were arrested,” he said.

Amudipe also said that the team visited warehouses (parking stores), Chuks, Edu, and Don Mekus bookshops, all in Yaba area of Lagos State.

”The anti-piracy raid is to send a signal to the public that the commission has upscaled its enforcement activities.

“The commission warns booksellers, schools, printers, and all those who deal in copyright materials that the commission will not tolerate piracy in any form,” he said.

He noted that the commission was aware that pirated books were being pushed directly to schools for sale.

”Any school found aiding the sale of pirated books will be treated as a book pirate.

“The commission hereby mandates all printers, booksellers, and schools that deal in books to have adequate documentation on the source of the books they are dealing in.

“Any printer who does not keep the expected records according to the copyright act will be severely dealt with.

‘All those who engage in bookselling should have proper receipts as evidence for their purchase from the right source,” he said. (NAN).