Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has seized books suspected to be pirated and valued at about N7 million during a raid on a store at Garki Market, Abuja.
The seizure was made over the weekend, during an intelligence-led operation carried out by the Commission’s enforcement team, led by its Director of Operations, Mr. Femi Ajala, with the support of armed Police personnel from the Federal Capital Territory Command.
The operation followed information received by the Commission concerning the alleged storage and distribution of pirated literary works at the market.
According to a statement issued by the NCC Director of Public Affairs, Ijeoma Egbunike, the enforcement team gained access to the store and found several cartons and bags containing books suspected to have been reproduced and distributed without the permission of their copyright owners.
The materials were evacuated from the premises, while the store was subsequently sealed by the Commission.
Ajala said the raid formed part of the NCC’s renewed efforts to tackle copyright piracy and protect authors, publishers and other right owners from the financial losses associated with illegal reproduction of their works.
He said the large quantity of books recovered from the store demonstrated the scale of piracy in the publishing sector and the need for sustained enforcement.
“The operation was intelligence-driven. We received information about the location and acted on that intelligence. The volume of books recovered shows the seriousness of the situation and the need for sustained enforcement,” Ajala said.
He warned that the Commission would continue to pursue individuals and networks involved in the illegal reproduction, distribution and commercial exploitation of copyrighted materials.
Ajala added that investigations would commence to determine the ownership and source of the seized books, trace their distribution network and identify those behind the alleged piracy.
He said the NCC would also extend its enforcement operations beyond known piracy locations to areas where pirated books could enter the market, including educational institutions and other learning environments.
According to him, the fight against book piracy was necessary to safeguard the livelihoods of authors, publishers, researchers and educators, as well as protect investment in Nigeria’s creative and publishing industries.
The Commission urged members of the public, publishers, copyright owners and other stakeholders to provide information that could assist in identifying and dismantling piracy networks.
Among the books recovered during the operation were Purple Hibiscus, The Magic of Thinking Big, New General Mathematics for Senior and Junior Secondary Schools 1, 2 and 3, Stan Basic Science and Technology for Primary School Workbook 3, Steps to Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning 3, Classic Basic Technology for Junior Secondary Schools 3, Active Basic Science and Technology for Junior Secondary Schools and Workbook 2, Queen Primer, Royal School Series Part 1, WABP Physical and Health Education for Primary Schools 1 and 4, Learn Mathematics 5, New School Physics for Senior Secondary Schools, MacMillan Champion Primary Mathematics 3 and 4 and Tonad Essential Commerce for Senior Secondary Schools, among others.
