…Seizes Cable Wires worth N4m

By Francis Sadhere

The Nigeria Copyright Commission, NCC, has clamped down on illegal cable operators in Delta state, seizing cable wires and decoders worth four million naira.

The NCC Director of Enforcement, Mr. Anthony Amodu who briefed newsmen in Warri after the raid warned all illegal cable operators to desist from the act or face the wrath of the law.

Amodu said cable piracy was a crime punishable under the law and that NCC was ready to stamp out piracy from the country.

He noted that cable piracy has been going on for long in all parts of the country, a practice he described as illegal.

He said, “the Nigerian Copyright Commission is bent, more than ever before, to see that it fights piracy to its barest minimum.”

“We will want to see that this issue of cable piracy where somebody goes to buy a decoder from a genuine operator like multi choice and redistributes it to over 200 houses, is stopped,” he added.

He noted that NCC under section 38 of the copyright laws gives the copyright inspectors the powers to stamp out or minimise piracy in Nigeria.

Amodu said the situation was worst at Aladja town in Udu Local government area where the Delta Steel Company (DSC) was located.

He added that though no suspect was arrested during the raid as they all took to their heels, the suspects would not be this lucky in the next raid.

On the issue of the NCC inspectors going into people’s houses to inspect, Amodu said the commission has given them the right to enter any house where they reasonable suspect that a crime has been committed under the copyright act.

He said, “We have the same powers and privileges of the Nigerian police except bearing arms.”

Amodu added that NCC has embarked on a public awareness campaign to sensitize Nigerian citizens on the need to stop patronizing illegal cable operators.

When asked if NCC was being sponsored by multi choice to carry out the raid, Amodu said the commission does not have to wait for multi choice to sponsor them before they carry out their duties.

He emphasized that NCC only goes out to where there is controversy on copyright violations and do not wait for anybody sponsor it.