The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) on Wednesday in Kaduna
destroyed pornographic and other unapproved films and video works
valued at not less than N50 million.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that items destroyed included DVDs,
CDs, copies of multiple- in-one video films, unclassified foreign,
local and pornographic films as well as other illicit video works.
Mr Adedayo Thomas, NFVCB Executive Director, said that the items were
seized from markets during raid by board officers, adding that their
destruction would serve as deterrent.
According to him, the board has zero-tolerance as regulator of the
motion picture industry against distribution of unapproved and
prohibited films and video works in Nigeria.
“Our enforcement drive within a period resulted in the removal of these
unapproved films and video works with street value of over N50 million.
“The government has been promoting avenues to continually diversify the
economy to promote economic growth and pursue strategic objectives of
job creation, youth empowerment, improved human capital and improved
business.
“If the creative industry is in a mess, investors will not come; that is
why we are cleaning the market for film owners to enjoy reward for
their work,’’ he said.
Thomas attributed the success in its operations to the unrelenting
activities of the NFVCB Task Force, a body constituted to champion the
raid of illegal film outlets across the country.
He said that the collaboration of the police had sped up the arrest and
prosecution of marketers and distributors of illicit films and video
works.
“The objective of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Economic Recovery and
Growth Plan (ERGP) is the continuous improvement on, respect for,
enforcement of intellectual property and ownership rights in the film
industry.
“This is pursued by discouraging the distribution of unapproved,
unclassified and unwholesome films and tackling other illicit activities
in the film market.
“Industry players lose billions of naira to adulterated, smuggled and
unclassified works through agents and distributors, which ultimately
denies the government its statutory revenues.
“It is on this premise that the NFVCB two years ago re-constituted the
national task force on unapproved movies with the support of the
Minister of Information and Culture.
“The immediate intervention of the task force, which includes industry
stakeholders, guilds and in-house operation staff of the board led to
unprecedented massive raid successes across the country,” he said.
Mr Umar Muri, Kaduna State Commissioner of Police (CP), in his remark
commended the NFVCB for remaining steadfast in the fight against illicit
films.
Muri, who was represented by CSP Aminu Lawan noted that some of the
vices in the society could be attributed to unwholesome films watched by
the youth.
He, therefore, urged filmmakers to always submit their works for censoring and approval by the NFVCB as required by law.
“I want to assure the board that the Police will continue to support its operations in the state,” he said.
NAN reports that the officials of the NFVCB, the Police and the Federal
Fire Service were among stakeholders present at the public burning of
the products.
Others were government functionaries, State Director of the National
Orientation Agency (NOA) and representatives of filmmakers in the
state.(NAN)