National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) said it has arrested three persons and confi scated fi lm and video works not classifi ed and not approved for distribution in Nigeria worth over N50 million from the Alaba International Market, Lagos. Executive Director, Alhaji Adedayo Th amos, stated this yesterday at a press conference in Abuja.
Adedayo said it took the recently inaugurated National Task Force on “unclassifi ed and unapproved fi lm and video works in Nigeria fi ve days to enforce its mandate with arrest of persons involved in distribution of unclassifi ed fi lm and video works, persons in possession of unapproved fi lm, video work and persons operating a fi lm and video distribution business without the requisite licence from the market.”
He said: “You will recall that one of the fi rst things I did on assumption of offi ce, earlier this year was to inaugurate a National task force on unclassifi ed, unapproved and unlicensed fi lm and video works exhibitors and distributors in Nigeria. Th e result you are witnessing today is the fruit of the eff ort of that Task force. “In fi ve days for the task force to remove fi lm and video works from the market. Th is is the fi rst in the series of national enforcement against unclassifi ed, unapproved and operating an unlicensed fi lm and video distribution and exhibition business which will be carried out in Nigeria through the National task force.” He added that the raid was subtle signal to persons distributing unclassifi ed fi lm and video works, to fi nd other business “as the Board under my watch will not rest until we get rid of them from our industry.” He said the Film industry “is a subset of the Creative Industry; therefore, the enforcement by NFVCB National Task Force, relies on the collaboration the platform created by the ministerial task force to curb piracy.
