NCC Invades Aba Market

Officials of the Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC) on anti- piracy drive at the weekend came under heavy attack by traders when they invaded the popular Ariaria International Market Aba Abia state.

During the raid, dozens of pirated books worth millions of naira mainly bibles which were sold far below the prices of genuine products were seized and carted away by the officials.

The irate traders pelted stones, sachet water and sticks at the officials during the attack which left the vehicle conveying the task force badly damaged as the windscreen and window sides were all shattered.

Not even the presence of armed police personnel could deter the unruly traders from venting their venom on the task force.

There was however, a mild drama as one of the attackers already arrested by the police jumped out of a moving bus and took to his heels while the police were trying to defend the officials from the angry traders.

The task force, however, managed to escape from the mob but not without serious damage on its hired bus marked UMA 712 XA.

Addressing journalists later, Augustine Amodu, NCC’s Director of Enforcement, said no amount of resistance would deter the Commission from ridding Nigerian markets of fake and pirated products.

He said no economic crime could be worse than pirating somebody’s work thereby denying one of the rightful proceeds of ones sweat.

Amodu explained that the raid was sequel to complaints and petitions by aggrieved authors including the Bible Society of Nigeria.

He decried the activities of the traders and their sources accusing them of perpetrating economic sabotage.

The Commission said it would trace the sources of the pirated goods and prosecute the perpetrators.

“We shall trace and arrest their sources of supply and prosecute them according to the extant laws,” the Commission vowed, putting the value of the seized pirated books at over N3m.

The Commission said it had also seized over 40 containers of pirated products from China, India Belarus within the past two years.