Pirated copies of Obasanjo’s book sell for N7,000

Pirated copies of former President Olusegun
Obasanjo’s controversial autobiography titled
‘My Watch’ have flooded the streets of Lagos
State, selling for as low as N7,000.
The development came after a Federal Capital
Territory High Court judge, Justice Valentine Ashi,
ordered that security agents, including the police
and men of the Department of State Service,
should confiscate all copies of the book.
Our correspondent learnt that Obasanjo’s
original book which has three volumes, costs
about N15, 000 while the pirated copy, which
has two volumes, costs less than half the price
and comes in a white cover as opposed to the
original’s yellow and brown colour.
Our correspondent, who spoke to hawkers selling
the book in the Maryland and Opebi areas of
the state, was told that Obasanjo’s original
book had become scarce.
One of the traders, who spoke to our
correspondent on Opebi Road, said traders
knew that the original would become scarce
after a court ordered its seizure and so pirates
seized the opportunity to make money.
He said, “My friend, you know this book is illegal
now and we are even taking a huge risk selling
it. The controversy in the pages of the book and
the controversy that it has continued to
generate in society have made it a bestseller.
“I usually sell it between N11,000 and N7,000
depending on the negotiating power of the
customer.”
When asked where he usually got the books
from, he said, “You want to spoil my market? Of
course I can’t tell you.”
Obasanjo’s book, which centres on his life in the
military, as a democratic president and after
office, became a legal issue shortly before its
publication when the Chairman, Organisation
and Mobilisation Committee of the Peoples
Democratic Party in the South-West, Buruji
Kashamu, took the matter to court in an attempt
to prevent Obasanjo from launching the book.
However, Obasanjo on December 9, 2014, went
ahead to publish the book and the judge
ordered that the books be confiscated.