By Vincent Ujumadu

Awka—THE Nigerian Copyrights Commission, NCC, said yesterday that it had convicted 57 persons across the country, this year for piracy.

The director of enforcement in the commission, Mr. Augustine Amodu said in Onitsha that NCC was also prosecuting 200 piracy cases in various Federal High Courts in the country.

Amodu, who spoke during a raid of some illegally connected DSTV cables in the town, said most of the convicts were involved in illegal  connection and redistribution of Multi Choice DSTV services.

During yesterday’s raid, one Amuzie Emerie was arrested for alleged illegal redistribution of DSTV services. According to him, piracy is one cankerworm that had eaten deep into the economic fabrics of the country.

He said: “It is a crime against the DSTV. It is a crime against the legitimate subscribers. It is a crime against the economy and it is a crime against humanity.”

He said the commission was empowered by section 38 of the Copyrights Commission law to arrest and prosecute defaulters.

Amodu said that in the course of its investigations, it was found out that some individuals would buy a single unit of DSTV decoder and then redistribute services to over 300 persons and collect N2000 per subscriber.

“This is corruption; this is criminal; this is fraud. We can’t allow it. Government is losing because these fraudsters don’t pay tax. It contributes to unemployment,” he said.