The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area 1 Command, on Thursday disclosed that it recently impounded seven 20ft containers carrying 10,000 cartons of pirated books, dictionaries and novels for Junior and Senior Secondary Schools.

A statement by the command Public Relations Officer, Timi Bomodi, said the seizure had a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N35 million, adding that the said books were declared as Bibles, with the intent of concealing their true identity.

According to the statement, one person has been arrested and released in connection with the seizure.

The Area Controller of Customs, Adamu Garko, reaffirmed the Service's commitment to checkmating the nefarious activities of pirates and other importers who engage in illegal importation.

He warned unscrupulous importers to desist from their unwholesome actions, and called on all government agencies to work collectively toward achieving a common purpose.

The statement said the consignment had been handed over to the Nigeria Copyrights Commission.

The NCS, in recent months, stepped up its anti-smuggling activities in line with Sections 47 and 48 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA).

Billyonaire: I like to think outside the box here, the "pirated" books should be distributed free of charge to students. I dont see anything wrong in sharing this, pirated or not, its gonna make someone more knowledgeable.

Billyonaire: I like to think outside the box here, the "pirated" books should be distributed free of charge to students. I dont see anything wrong in sharing this, pirated or not, its gonna make someone more knowledgeable.

Ryabcool: they should never try it or they'll risk being sued. Remember most copyright terms state that "no part of this book shall be reproduced, duplicated, used, DISTRIBUTED without the express permission of the author(s)"

Billyonaire: For real ? But do you realize that the pirates where about selling the same books for huge amounts ?

all4naija: It is a little bit complicated situation. I share Billyonaire and Ryabcool ideas.

Looking at the situation of things in the country, I would suggeste the ministry of education to write the rightful owner of the intellectual properties for permission to distribute them to the students in public school. It would be of great help to the rightful owners when their works are helping the poor in Africa(at this time Nigeria)after unscrupulous intention to sell them under pirated conditions.

Kobojunkie: I am guessing a lot of people here have never actually purchased a pirated book in their life.

Pirated books are as usually as good as useless because many of them are poorly printed, with missing pages in most cases, and essentially fall apart after a couple of weeks.

If these books were really pirated, then I would that they never enter circulation at all. I remember purchasing some of these while in med school and causing the woman who sold me the book every time I flipped to a page only to find it missing.

ZUBY77: books , hahahahahahaha