The Nigerian Copyright commission had in a joint operation with men of the Nigerian police succeeded in arresting three suspected pirates and recover about 250 pirates’ copies of the Holy Bible in a market located at Suleja local government area of Niger state.
Mr. Vincent Oyefeso, Director of Public Affairs of the commission disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja on Friday, stating that the commission had confiscated several pirated textbooks.
According to Oyefeso, the commission grabbed books worth N1.5 million during anti-policy operations at the oneway road, Suleja market.
“The suspects; Kelechi Ugwuiro, Romanus Ojimba, and Ebuka Chinedu were arrested for distributing and offering for sale suspected pirated literary works, contrary to provisions of the Nigerian Copyright Act.
Some of the impound books included primary and secondary school texts, copies of Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, and different versions of the Holy Bible,” the director said.
The commission will also further investigate to apprehend the major suppliers in the piracy chain so they can face the law.
Therefore the director further expressed the agency’s commitment to discharging its enforcement mandates, “especially at this time, when the book season is around the corner”.
The director called on members of the public to assist the commission by volunteering information on suspected piracy outlets and suspicious warehouses of books, through any of its state offices or on the Commission’s website www.copyright.gov.ng.
“The commission’s main operational contacts are anti-piracy hotline: 09019003200; email: info@copyright.gov.ng,” Oyefeso said.
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