Broadcasting
NCC Arrests 3 Suspected Pirates, Confiscates Books Worth N5m
Three booksellers have been arrested and suspected pirated books worth about five million Naira (N5,000,000) were impounded by operatives of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) during an enforcement operation at the Garki Modern Market in Abuja.
In a renewed drive to rid the markets of pirated books and enforce respect for copyright, the operatives, backed by armed Policemen, on 14th December 2021, stormed bookshops in the market and apprehended those found to be selling suspected pirated books.
Preliminary reports show that about nine hundred and seven (907) infringing copies of religious, motivational and educational titles belonging to various publishers were among the seizures.
Those arrested are Mr. Ifeanyi Udensi of Anyibest Bookshop; Mr. Ugwu Henry of Tonydon Bookshop and Mr. Chinedum Udeagha of Chinedum Bookshop.
The titles seized include New General Mathematics for Senior Secondary, Book 3, Modular English, Book 5, by Evans; Nigerian Primary English, Pupil, Book 4, by Learn Africa; National Common Entrance Examination, English and Verbal Aptitude by Ugo C. Ugo.
Others are Oxford Advanced Leaner’s Dictionary; Harrap Paperback French Dictionary; Islamic Studies for Senior Secondary Schools, Book 3 by University Press Plc; Christian Religious Studies and National Values for Primary School, Book 1; Rope of Allah, Book 4; Living as God’s Children, by African University Press Plc., and Bibles.
Speaking on the antipiracy raid, NCC’s Director of Operations, Mr. Obi Ezeilo described the operation as a major hit on book piracy in Abuja. He said the antipiracy operation followed tip-offs by right owners, intensified intelligence gathering and surveillance by the Commission’s operatives.
He indicated that the Commission has commenced further investigation with a view to prosecuting the suspects.
The Director of Operations noted that the impact of the operation was enormous, considering that beyond the market value of the seizures, the confiscation of contrivances would further disrupt the distribution chain of pirated works.
Renewing the Commission’s resolve to continually disrupt illicit business chains in all sectors of the creative industry, Mr. Ezeilo warned all those involved in copyright piracy as publishers, printers, distributors or retailers to desist.
“It is no more business as usual. There is no more hiding place for pirates as the Commission is determined to take its enforcement drive to every market, shop and business area where copyright works are being exploited”, he stressed.
Calling on the public to support the Commission’s efforts to curb copyright piracy in the country, he noted: “The acts of distributing pirated books is a crime; it is copyright piracy.
All pirates, irrespective of their level of involvement, are advised to stay away from this illicit trade. Piracy is theft. It is a crime against humanity and the Commission is determined to deploy all resources to fight piracy”.
He added: “We hope that as we are interrogating the suspects, we will gather more intelligence about the kingpins. However, as we keep telling them, they have to stay away from piracy.
“It is no justification that some other persons have done it or are doing it, or that you are being supplied the copyright infringing books when you know that it is an offence. Stay away from piracy because the Commission will not condone it.”
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has announced the postponement of its maiden annual Public Relations, Reputation, Ideas, Concepts and Excellence (PRICE) Awards and Prizes to January 25, 2026.
NIPR
The event, earlier scheduled for December 7, 2025, was deferred to accommodate stakeholders whose observance of Christmas festivities had commenced earlier than expected.
Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr. Israel Opayemi, urged stakeholders to note the new date and prepare to participate in the ceremony.
He said the awards would motivate professionals, practitioners and scholars, while enhancing Nigeria’s global competitiveness in the public relations ecosystem and strengthening brand equity for all stakeholders.
Opayemi reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to delivering a best-in-class award administration and ceremony, describing the PRICE Awards as a credible and enduring platform to identify, celebrate and elevate outstanding individuals, campaigns and organisations shaping the public relations landscape across sectors.
The development of the PRICE Awards peaked in September 2025 when the NIPR President and Chairman, Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku, inaugurated a 12-man committee to organise the maiden edition. The inauguration followed the Council’s adoption of the report of a technical team tasked with establishing the awards.
Netflix has announced a landmark agreement to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max in a transaction valued at $82.7 billion, a move analysts say will reshape the global entertainment industry.
Netflix
The deal, which includes Warner Bros.’ film and television studios, HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Games, was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. Under the terms, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shareholders will receive $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in Netflix shares for each WBD share.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos described the acquisition as “a defining moment” for the streaming giant, noting that the company intends to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations while expanding its production capacity.
“By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies with Netflix’s culture-defining titles, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling,” Sarandos said.
The transaction is expected to close within 12 to 18 months, following the planned spin-off of WBD’s TV networks division, Discovery Global, in 2026. Netflix projects annual cost savings of $2–3 billion by the third year after completion and expects the deal to be accretive to earnings per share by year two.
Industry groups, including the Directors Guild of America and Cinema United, have raised concerns about the impact on movie theaters, while regulators are expected to scrutinize the deal over antitrust issues. Netflix has pledged to continue supporting theatrical releases, with Warner Bros.’ cinema commitments running through 2029.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav hailed the agreement, saying it “combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love.”
Observers note that the acquisition comes 15 years after former Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes dismissed Netflix as “the Albanian army,” underscoring the dramatic shift in the entertainment landscape.
A major shake‑up rocks viewers and subscribers of DSTV/GOTV as many channels are set to shut down and be removed on January 1, 2026.
The trigger for the upcoming shut‑down is a breakdown in negotiations between the owners of multiple global channels and the pay‑TV operator.
As of December 2025, the deal between Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and DStv/GOtv has expired and the two parties have not reached a renewal agreement.
Without a new carriage/distribution agreement, the channels belonging to WBD risk being pulled off the DStv/GOtv line‑up.
This is the most significant content cutback the service has seen in years.
The affected channels are:
Discovery Channel
TLC
Cartoonito
Cartoon Network
CNN International
Food Network
The Travel Channel
TNT
Investigation Discovery
Real Time
HGTV
Discovery Family
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