The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has destroyed Pirated materials including books, artworks, musicals and cinematography worth over 1.5 billion Naira in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria.
The Director General of the Commission, Mr Afam Ezekude, gave the figure during the destruction of the seized items on Thursday.
Mr Ezekude said that the items were seized during the Commission’s enforcement drive in the North-West zone.
He said that the operations also led to the arrest of 459 suspects and the seizure of 7.6 million Naira pirated items from the Nigerian markets.
Describing pirates as despicable and economic saboteurs, Mr Ezekude said that the NCC had collaborated with other law enforcement agencies such as the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Customs Service to ensure that the activities of pirates are completely wiped out in the country.
The representative of the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Sadiq Gambo, assured Nigerians of the Command’s readiness to partner with NCC in its fight against piracy.
Mr Gambo advised Nigerians not to patronise pirated products to discourage the activities of pirates, but not every salesperson is aware of any distinctive features on the original products.
Earlier, officials of the Commission held an interactive session with some book sellers and CD sellers where the Director General warned them not to buy pirated materials in order not to incur the wrath of the commission.
In 2014, the NCC launched an electronic platform for easy and prompt registration of copyright works from around the globe and to help generate a data base of copyright works and right owners. But the daunting challenge remains how to quickly figure out what is original and what is not.
The NCC was established in 1988 to promote the growth of the creative industry in Nigeria through the dissemination of copyright knowledge, efficient administration and protection of rights.
Over the years, the NCC had carried out arrest of suspects and impounded pirated materials. But despite these efforts, pirated CDs, DVDs and books are still seen on roads and in markets across the country.
On the roadside, they are crowded on mats and sold by die-hard retailers; they are mobile in the hands of hawkers and they are also in stalls and shops.
