The Nigerian Copyright Commission has apprehended eight individuals for selling pirated books and closed down their shops at the popular Sapon booksellers’ hub and in Sango Ota.
The enforcement team, accompanied by armed officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, was led by the State Coordinator from the NCC Ibadan office, Oluropo Oke.
Oke explained that the NCC was enforcing the law to combat piracy and prevent those undermining the economic efforts of legitimate authors and publishers.
She stated that the arrests were intended to send a strong message to those profiting illegally from pirated books and other copyright violations.
Oke urged booksellers to resist the temptation of dealing with pirates and to instead buy and sell only original books from publishers.
A publisher who participated in the enforcement operation, Olatunde Oguniran, described piracy as harmful and demoralising.
He emphasised that for the fight against piracy to succeed, publishers, writers, and the NCC must strengthen their collaboration and remain determined to eliminate this menace.
One of the suspects, who identified himself as Tedus and was arrested in Ota, expressed regret for selling pirated books.
The enforcement team later took the suspects and the seized pirated books to the NCC’s Ibadan Zonal Office for further investigation and possible prosecution.