NIGERIAN COPYRIGHT COMMISSION DESCENDS ON MOVIE PIRATES, CONFISCATE OVER N2M PIRATED MOVIES

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) in collaboration with the police in Lagos arrested five suspects for alleged piracy of copies of a movie valued at N2million.
The NCC Lagos Zonal Manager, Mr Obi Ezeilo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday that the suspects were arrested at the Computer Village, Ikeja.

He said that the arrest was made following complaints by The ELFIKE Film/Koga Studios that produced a movie entitled, `The Wedding Party’ that it was being pirated.

According to him, the complainant who produced the movie reported to the police that it suspected that “The Wedding Party’’ it had not released to the market was being pirated.

“The ELFIKE Film/Koga Studios reported the development to the Area ‘F’ Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

“The police investigation led to the arrest of five suspected pirates with some pirated copies of the movie worth several millions of naira in their possessions.

“The suspects have sold millions of copies of the pirated movie valued at N2 million,’’ he said.

He added that the suspected pirates were arrested at the Computer village while hawking pirated copies of the movie on the streets.

The zonal manager said that investigation was still ongoing adding that the commission would prosecute the culprits in due course.

“The sale is illicit, illegal and an infringement on copyright law,” he said.

Ezeilo said that the offence was contrary to Section 20 of the Nigeria Copyright Act. (NAN)