By Seriki Adinoyi in Jos
The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Bauchi office, in collaboration with armed riot policemen, weekend arrested 10 suspected copyright pirates and confiscated 136 copies of pirated Revised Standard Version (RSV) and Hausa translation of the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible worth N136,000 found in possession of the suspects during an anti-piracy operation carried out in Jos, Plateau State.
A press statement signed by Vincent Oyefeso, a Deputy Director in the Commission, explained that the raid by the commission followed a complaint of an infringement on its copyright protected titles lodged by the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN).
Oyefeso said: “Based on intelligence gathered during surveillance activities, the Commission carried out the enforcement action pursuant to its powers under the Nigerian Copyright Act CAP C28 LFN 2004.
“The arrested suspects are Ebuka Okoye, Onyinya Ohaji, Christian Greg, Ambrose Shallong and Godwin Erem.
“Others are Onyinya Anyache, Ignanis Ogoz, Nkechi Ugwu, Esther Ezenwa and Onye Abel David.”
He added that the production, importation, possession, distribution, hire, sale or display for sale of infringing copies of copyright protected products is an offence, liable of conviction to various terms of fine or imprisonment or both under sections 20 and 21 of the Nigerian Copyright Act, CAP C28 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.