NCC destroys ₦50.6m worth of pirated books in Ondo, Ekiti

By Boye Oyeyemi –

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has seized and destroyed 5,061 pirated books valued at ₦50.6m in Ondo and Ekiti states.

The destruction exercise was carried out on Thursday at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) office in Akure, Ondo State.

The Director-General of the commission, Dr John Asein, who was represented by the NCC Oyo State Coordinator, Mrs Oluropo Oke, said the books were recovered from nine bookshops across the two states.

According to her, the pirated materials were seized from two bookshops in Ado-Ekiti, two in Akure and five in Ondo town during separate enforcement operations.

Asein said the books were shredded to prevent them from finding their way back into circulation, noting that the offenders had already forfeited the items and paid statutory fines to the Federal Government.

He urged members of the public to buy books only from recognised authors, publishers or reputable bookshops, rather than from street hawkers.

The NCC boss warned that book piracy undermines creativity, deprives rights holders of income, promotes substandard products and harms the nation’s economy.

He also commended the NSCDC for its support, stressing that the Copyright Act empowers the commission to prosecute and sanction individuals involved in intellectual property violations.