NFVCB Impounds Pirated Nollywood Films

A container load of pirated Nollywood movies imported from China has been seized at Alaba Market by the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) task force after last Monday’s raid of the notorious Alaba Market where three suspected pirates were arrested.
The taskforce set up by the board against unauthorised distribution/uncensored and unclassified movies, on Wednesday increased its arrest to four while on Thursday it also confiscated a container load consisting of 103 sacs of DVDs of different titles believed to have been imported from China.
The 8-man task force made up of largely members of the Film and Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria ((FVPMAN) alongside the Nigeria  Police on Monday last week arrested three men, Ndu Celestine, Okechukwu Ikeagwu and Austine Ugokwe and confiscated several film titles and machines said to be worth N50 million. The suspects were immediately taken to Abuja from the Area E Police Command, Festac Town.
The fourth suspect, popularly called Mayor, is said to be the assistant financial secretary of the fancy and furniture section of Alaba international market where CD and DVD business holds sway. Some of the film titles include Ayamma, Wedding Party, Three Wise Men, 30 Days in Atlanta, A Trip To Jamaica Lekki Wives, Wives On Strike, Jennifer’s Diary and Fifty.
The raid was spearheaded by the Executive Director of NFVCB, Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, notable film maker, Gabriel Okoye aka Igwe Gabosky, Chairman of FVPMAN, Emeka Aduah and film marketer and lawyer, Nobert Ajaegbu.
Speaking to newsmen at the Area E Police Command, Adedayo described the unlawful distribution of uncensored intellectual property and piracy as a serious economic crime.
“We are saying no to unwholesome, unclassified and uncensored content vis-à-vis piracy. Piracy is a serious economic crime. What they are doing to intellectual property is worse than what you can imagine”.
“We had warned them to stop the unlawful act, unfortunately they did not stop and we promised the stake holders and those concerned within the film and creative industry that we are going to start action, so this is one of the actions that we have promised them and it is going to be continuous because now, we have the full support of the police, it makes our job easier, the lawyers are ready to prosecute”.
According to Okoye, “majority of the stakeholders have been rendered prostrate by the activities of the pirates and no more operating, some of them have gone broke”.
“If you go to Alaba where our business used to thrive, the situation is not the same, as cosmetics and phone accessory sellers have taken over because the pirates have driven us away and feeding fat on our sweat. They have started investing in hospitals and other business, while the creative industry is getting broke”, he lamented.