The Nigerian Copyright Commission seized pirated books worth around N20 million during a raid on several bookshops in Ajegunle Boundary, Lagos State.
The operation, carried out on Friday, was led by Mr. Charles Amudipe, Deputy Director and Head of Operations at the NCC Lagos Office, with the support of security personnel.
Speaking on the raid, the Director of the Lagos Office Mrs. Lynda Alphaeus, and a representative of the NCC’s Director-General, Dr. John Asein, explained, “This raid is part of the Director-General’s mission to cleanse the market and rid the entire country of pirated books.” She added, “Piracy has been a major issue affecting publishers, authors, and the economy, and the Commission has a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of copyright infringement.”
The operation targeted five suspected outlets on Ojora Lane and Calabar Road in Ajegunle. “We inspected several bookshops and storage warehouses suspected of housing pirated books around the Ajegunle market. Items identified as pirated materials were seized,” Alphaeus said.
Some shop owners reportedly resisted, but security support ensured a peaceful outcome. Alphaeus warned that piracy is a punishable offense, stating, “Anyone found guilty will face the full extent of the law.”
She highlighted that the NCC has strengthened its anti-piracy efforts in recent years and is committed to identifying and prosecuting violators, saying, “The NCC’s action serves as a strong signal of its intensified anti-piracy operations aimed at protecting intellectual property and supporting the Nigerian creative industry.”
