Man Jailed For Selling Fake and Pirated Copies of El-Rufai’s Book

A Federal High Court judge, Justice Saliu Saidu, yesterday has sentenced a bookseller to three months imprisonment for selling pirated copies of the book, “The Accidental Public Servant,” authored by the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasiru El- Rufai.
The convict, Chibueze Akamu, resident at No. 69, Owodunni St., Iwaya, Yaba, was charged to court by the Nigerian Copyright Commission, NCC.
He pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of piracy and sale of pirated books.
Justice Saidu sentenced the accused having pleaded guilty to the offence.
“Having pleaded guilty to the charge before this honourable court, the accused is hereby convicted as charged. The accused is sentenced to three months imprisonment, on each count which term shall run concurrently,” Saidu ruled.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Mrs. Lynda Alphaeus, had told the court that the accused was apprehended on April 25, at Oyingbo, Lagos.
She told the court that the accused was caught at the bus stop, selling pirated copies of the book, According to the prosecutor; the books were then recovered from him while he was arrested and detained. She therefore urged the court to convict and sentence the accused.
The convict, who had no legal representation, pleaded with the court for mercy, adding that the books were supplied to him by a customer.
He said he was not aware that they were pirated copies, and begged the court to tamper justice with mercy.
Meanwhile, a lawyer, litigant and a court registrar (names withheld) were yesterday docked by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, for constituting nuisance by making noise within the corridor of his courtroom, thereby disturbing proceedings.
The three were discussing loudly in front of Justice Auta’s court, making the judge, who was being addressed by a lawyer, momentarily stopped proceedings.
Everyone in the courtroom turned to look towards the direction where the noise was coming from but the three kept talking unperturbed.
Justice Auta, who was in Lagos to attend to some cases before going back to Abuja then directed his police orderly to order the three into his courtroom.
When they came in, he asked them to stand at a corner and went on with the proceedings.
At the end of proceedings, he asked them to step forward. The three said they were sorry for disturbing the court, but the judge told them to step into the dock.
Justice Auta expressed his displeasure that the lawyer and registrar, who ought to know the workings of the court, were the ones talking loudly to the extent of disturbing court proceedings.
After warning them, he said, “This is a court premises where silence must be maintained, adding they must not make such a mistake again.”