The Nigerian Copyright Commission carried out a major anti-piracy operation on Friday, raiding several bookshops in the Ajegunle Boundary area of Lagos State and confiscating pirated books estimated to be worth around N20 million.
The raid, coordinated by the Deputy Director and Head of Operations at the Lagos Office, Mr. Charles Amudipe, was conducted by a team of copyright enforcement officers and backed by security forces.
According to The PUNCH, Mrs. Lynda Alphaeus, the Director of the Lagos Office, who spoke on behalf of the NCC’s Director-General, Dr. John Asein, explained that the operation is part of the Commission’s broader strategy to tackle the piracy problem nationwide.
“This operation is in line with the Director-General’s mission to clean up the market and eliminate pirated books across the country,” Alphaeus said.
“Piracy remains a significant threat to authors, publishers, and the Nigerian economy. The Commission maintains a zero-tolerance stance on all forms of copyright violations.”
The NCC’s team focused on five locations within Ajegunle, including bookshops and warehouses on Ojora Lane and Calabar Road.
“We inspected multiple outlets suspected of distributing pirated books and seized materials that were confirmed as pirated,” Alphaeus stated.
She also highlighted that some shop owners tried to resist the raid, but the presence of security personnel ensured that the operation proceeded without incident.
“Thanks to the support from our security partners, we managed the situation peacefully and completed our work without major disruptions,” she said.
Alphaeus issued a strong warning to booksellers, schools, and printers, urging them to steer clear of piracy.
“Piracy is a criminal act, and anyone found guilty will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she warned.
She further emphasized the NCC’s ongoing commitment to combating copyright infringement, noting that the Commission has ramped up its enforcement activities over the past five years.
“No one involved in piracy is beyond our reach. We are determined to identify and prosecute offenders, no matter their status or location,” she added.
Alphaeus called on all stakeholders in the book industry to ensure they deal in only legitimate materials, stating, “The NCC’s actions are a clear message that we are intensifying our efforts to protect intellectual property and support the Nigerian creative industry.”
