The Nigerian Copyrights Commission said it has confiscated pirated materials including former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s memoir, ‘My Watch’ among other materials.

The street value of the confiscated materials so far this year runs into billions of Naira, Director General of the NCC Barrister Afam Ezekude has said.

He disclosed this during a parley with newsmen over the weekend in Abuja.

He said the seized goods have been recovered from a number of states across the country.

The states include Kwara, Nassarawa, Abuja and Lagos where the highest recorded value reached N1.5 billion in one operation at Appa Wharf Terminal in April.

Literary works such as former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s memoir “My Watch,” foreign DVD’s and musical works are among a long list of copyrighted products which have been revealed in frequent reports produced by Mr. Augustine Amodu, the director of the enforcement department in Abuja.

A crackdown on illegal production and distribution of copyright work led to the arrest of eight people by the NCC in major areas around Kaduna Town on 22nd July while less than two weeks later after thorough surveillance headed by Mr Austine Amodu, over 4,700 copies of musical CDs, DVDs and VCDs estimated at N2 million were confiscated in Enugu state on 5 August.

Stakeholders and foreign and indigenous Book Publishers have since praised the efforts of the NCC’s fight against piracy at an international publishers meeting held in Lagos on 13 May this year.

Herna Van Wyk, the host and Regional Manager Africa for Elsevier –a company based in Amsterdam, personally thanked the commission, officers of the Nigerian Customs Services (NCS) and members of the Nigerian publishers Association (NPA) for their crucial roles in tackling illegal distribution of Nigeria.

Mr. Amodu has further assured that investigation has since commenced with a view to ensure the prosecution of all the arrested suspects.

http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/ncc-confiscates-copies-of-pirated-obasanjo-s-book-others/111584.html

Who read his lies anyway? I've got better books to read!