Counterfeiters Won’t Stop Until Death Penalty Is Imposed, Onanuga Says

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has advocated the death penalty for counterfeiters, arguing that they would continue their activities unless the punishment was introduced.

Onanuga made the call on Wednesday in response to a post by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) announcing the discovery of a suspected counterfeit alcohol production facility in Aba, Abia State.

Reacting to the agency’s report on X, the presidential aide said the operators of such facilities showed no regard for human life.

“These counterfeiters certainly have no conscience. Until we start imposing a death penalty on them, they will never stop their nefarious activities,” he wrote.

However, existing legislation under the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act prescribes a fine of up to ₦500,000, imprisonment for five to 15 years, or both, for offences involving the production or sale of counterfeit drugs and unwholesome processed foods. The law does not prescribe the death penalty for such offences.

In its account of the operation, NAFDAC said its officials raided a facility at No. 25 Omenazu Street, Aba, following credible intelligence and discovered that the premises were being used for suspected counterfeit alcohol production under unhygienic conditions.

According to the agency, the suspected operator escaped upon the arrival of its enforcement team, leaving behind 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 reportedly uncovered bottle caps, sealing machines, cartons, tanks containing liquid “concoctions” and dirty sieves suspected to have been used in the production process.

The officials also recovered plastic buckets, 200-litre drums of ethanol and tree bark soaked in ethanol, among other materials.

NAFDAC estimated the value of the equipment, materials and components found at the facility at more than ₦500million, warning that the discoveries raised serious questions about the safety and quality of the suspected products.

The operation is the latest in a series of enforcement actions by the agency targeting counterfeit and substandard goods across the country.

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NAFDAC recently announced the seizure and destruction of counterfeit and unwholesome products valued at more than ₦5.3billion within one week.

Among the operations was a raid on the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, where the agency said it confiscated products worth over ₦2billion and arrested two suspects.

The campaign against fake and unsafe consumer products has also drawn the attention of the House of Representatives, which has called for stronger measures to tackle the production, distribution and circulation of counterfeit and substandard food and beverages.

The lawmakers cited previous enforcement operations targeting alcohol-counterfeiting syndicates in Lagos and an illegal juice production facility in Badagry, Lagos State.

As of the time of filing this report, neither NAFDAC nor the Presidency had issued a response to Onanuga’s call for the introduction of the death penalty for counterfeiters.

NAFDAC urged members of the public to report suspected illegal manufacturing activities through its call centre or via email.