A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has sentenced a book seller, Chibueze Akamu, to three months imprisonment for selling pirated copies of the recently launched book, ‘The Accidental Public Servant’ written by former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Nasir el-Rufai.
The convicted book seller, who is a resident of 69, Owodunni Street, Iwaya, Yaba, was charged by the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) for selling pirated books including the one authored by the former Minister.
Akamu, who had no legal representation, pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of piracy and sale of pirated books. He pleaded for leniency explaining that he was supplied the books and was not aware that they were pirated.
The prosecutor, Mrs. Lynda Alphaeus, had explained that the accused was arrested on April 25, at a bus stop at the Oyingbo area of Lagos while selling the books.
Among the books, according to the prosecutor, were copies of el-Rufai’s book.
She said the offences contravened the provisions of Section 20 of the Copyrights Act 2004, which stipulates a fine not exceeding N1,000 for every copy dealt with, or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years, or to both fine and imprisonment.
Justice Saliu Saidu ,who presided over the case, said, while delivering judgment, that having pleaded guilty to the charge before the court, “the accused is hereby convicted as charged.
“The accused is sentenced to three months imprisonment on each count.”
He ,however, said, the terms would run concurrently.
