Pirated Copies Of Achebe’s Book Flood Awka, Onitsha

FEW hours after the news of the dearth of Prof. Chinua Acebe filtered into his home state, Anambra, hundreds of pirated copies of his latest work – There Was a Country – flooded the streets of Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi.

A copy was offered for N2500.

When confronted on the source of the copies and whether they were aware that they were pirated, the vendors said they got them from “owners” at good commission.

In Awka, a teenager, who gave his name as Chike, said he sold 17 copies last Friday.

From a distance the pirated copy looked original. It was not until one flipped through the pages that one observed some irregularities in characters and point-sizes. Some of the pages were either blurred or blotted.