Nigerian Copyright CommissionNCC Seals Garki Book Outlet After Seizing ₦7m Pirated Publications

Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has seized several cartons and bags of suspected pirated books valued at about ₦7 million during an enforcement operation at Garki Market in the Federal Capital Territory.

The commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Ijeoma Egbunike, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.

The operation, led by the Director of Operations, Femi Ajala, was carried out following intelligence on the suspected storage and distribution of pirated literary works at the location.

Ajala said the enforcement team, supported by armed police personnel from the FCT Command, gained access to the premises and discovered a substantial quantity of books believed to have been reproduced and distributed without the authorisation of the copyright owners.

He said the suspected infringing publications were evacuated from the premises, after which the outlet was sealed as investigations commenced.

According to him, the operation formed part of the NCC’s renewed intelligence-driven campaign to disrupt copyright piracy and protect authors, publishers and other right owners whose works are being commercially exploited without permission.

“The volume of books recovered which worth N7 million shows the seriousness of the situation and the need for sustained enforcement,” Ajala said.

He described piracy as a major threat to Nigeria’s creative and publishing industries, noting that the illegal reproduction and distribution of books deprive legitimate right owners of income and discourage further investment in creative works and publishing.

Some of the titles recovered during the operation include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus, The Magic of Thinking Big, New General Mathematics for Senior and Junior Secondary Schools 1, 2 and 3, Stan Basic Science and Technology for Primary School, Lantern Steps to Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning 3 and New School Physics for Senior Secondary Schools.

Other seized publications include Classic Basic Technology for Junior Secondary Schools 3, Active Basic Science and Technology for Junior Secondary Schools and Work Book 2, Queen Primer, Royal School Series Part 1, Learn Mathematics 5, MacMillan Champion Primary Mathematics 3 and 4 and Essential Commerce for Senior Secondary Schools, among others.

Ajala said the commission would investigate the ownership and source of the seized publications, as well as trace their distribution network and identify those responsible for the alleged infringement.

He assured that anyone found to be involved in the illegal reproduction, distribution or commercial exploitation of copyrighted works would face the law.

“The Commission will continue to disrupt piracy activities and investigate all those involved,” he said.

The NCC also appealed to authors, publishers, copyright owners and members of the public to provide credible information that could help identify and dismantle piracy networks.

Ajala stressed that combating book piracy goes beyond enforcement, describing it as an important measure for protecting Nigerian authors, publishers, researchers, educators and the wider creative economy.