NCC arrest 26 pirates, confiscate 7,000 unclassified films

No fewer than 26 suspected pirates have been apprehended in Lagos by the Nigeria Copyright Commission and the Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board (LSFVCB), during a three-day raid.

The three-day anti-piracy raid was carried out across the state in collaboration with the Yoruba Movie, Producers & Marketers Association of Nigeria around Iyana-Ipaja, Agege, Oshodi, Ijora, Orile Iganmu and Obalende. Also in the raid, 7,000 copies of pirated and pornographic films were confiscated.

DAILY POST gathered that the General Secretary of Yoruba Movie Producers/Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Adetunji Ojetola, who led his team for the raid, confessed that the Association had made spirited effort in the past to curb piracy.

Mr. Bamidele Balogun, Executive Secretary of the board, disclosed this, saying, “The raid was part of the continuous effort to liberate the State of the sale of pirated and unclassified movies.”

Bamidele stated that the State Government was concerned that Nigerian artistes were not getting maximum benefits from their works and this according to him posed serious challenges.

He emphasized that those arrested during the raids will be tried and brought to justice, adding that piracy is the greatest enemy of creative industry which must be defeated for the film industry as well as legitimate practitioners to grow.

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