By ABIODUN LAWAL

Suspected thugs on Thursday, attacked and prevented a Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) taskforce from carrying out their operation at a book market in Sagamu, Ogun.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the enforcement team had raided two bookshops inside the bustling Sabo market in Sagamu, confiscated books and sealed the shops.

However, suspected thugs were mobilised to resist the team and stop them from removing the confiscated books.

After serious threats from the thugs, the NCC team had to release the confiscated books before they were allowed to leave the scene.

Speaking to newsmen after the incident, Mrs Oluropo Oke, State Coordinator, NCC, Ibadan Office, expressed sadness over the incident.

Oke emphasised that winning the war against piracy requires sustained efforts, warning that those obstructing arrests would face consequences and prosecution.

?In the course of evacuating of pirated books and sealed shops, the shop owner?s husband organised a group of boys to come and attack us.

?We can win the war against piracy with continued fight against it and one day we will succeed .

?The position of the law is that they will be arrested, prosecuted accordingly. The commission is under the federal ministry of justice and all that perpetrated the blockage of arrest will face the consequence,? she said.

The state coordinator said that other operations conducted within Sagamu were successful, explaining that a bookshop with pirated books at Akarigbo junction was sealed.

?We will carry out our sorting of the books to determine how many copies were pirated and how many are original.

?Whatever the case; whether it has one or two pirated books, the bookshop owner will surely face the wrath of the law,? she said.

Oke warned that pirated books would harm the economy, promote substandard goods, stifle creativity, and deter authors from writing.

NAN also reports that men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) who accompanied the NCC officials for the operation were civil in handling the situation. (NAN)

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