Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has called for the imposition of the death penalty on counterfeiters, arguing that the existing legal framework has failed to deter the production and distribution of fake products.
Onanuga made the call on Wednesday in a post on X while reacting to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control’s (NAFDAC) discovery of a suspected counterfeit alcohol production facility in Aba, Abia State.
Reacting to the agency’s report, the presidential aide said counterfeiters would continue their activities unless they faced the ultimate punishment.
“These counterfeiters certainly have no conscience. Until we start imposing a death penalty on them, they will never stop their nefarious activities,” he wrote.
NAFDAC had disclosed that its officials uncovered the suspected illegal factory at No. 25 Omenazu Street, Aba, following what the agency described as credible intelligence.
According to the agency, the facility was operating under unhygienic conditions, raising concerns about the safety of alcoholic beverages allegedly produced there.
The suspected operator reportedly fled upon the arrival of NAFDAC officials, abandoning a vehicle containing packaging materials bearing the names of Sir Edwards Scotch Whisky and Scottish Hills Whisky, alongside empty bottles and a drum containing approximately 200 litres of liquid.
A search of the premises also led to the discovery of bottle caps, sealing machines, cartons, tanks containing liquid described as “concoctions”, and dirty sieves reportedly used in the production process.
Officials further recovered plastic buckets, 200-litre drums of ethanol and tree bark soaked in ethanol.
NAFDAC estimated the value of the recovered equipment, materials and components of the facility at more than ₦500m.
The agency said the discoveries raised serious concerns about the quality and safety of the suspected products, particularly the potential risks to consumers who might unknowingly purchase and consume counterfeit alcoholic beverages.
The discovery comes amid an intensified crackdown by NAFDAC on counterfeit and substandard products across the country.
The agency recently reported that it seized and destroyed counterfeit and unwholesome goods valued at more than ₦5.3bn within one week.
Among the operations was a raid on the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, where officials reportedly confiscated products worth more than ₦2bn and arrested two suspects.
The House of Representatives has also called for tougher enforcement against fake and substandard food products, following concerns over the activities of counterfeiters, including suspected alcohol production syndicates in Lagos and an illegal juice factory in Badagry.
Despite Onanuga’s call for the death penalty, Nigeria’s existing legislation provides different punishments for offences involving counterfeit drugs and unwholesome processed foods.
Under the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, offenders face a fine of up to ₦500,000, imprisonment for between five and 15 years, or both.
The legislation does not prescribe the death penalty for the offences covered by the Act.
As of the time of filing the original report, neither NAFDAC nor the Presidency had issued an official response to Onanuga’s statement.
