The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has called for the death penalty for counterfeiters, saying they will not stop producing fake products without tougher punishment.
Onanuga made the call on Wednesday while reacting to a report by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) about the discovery of a suspected fake alcohol factory in Aba, Abia State.
In a post on 𝕏, he accused counterfeiters of having no conscience and argued that the death penalty would be necessary to stop their activities.
“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 announced that its officials raided the facility at No. 25 Omenazu Street, Aba, following credible intelligence about its operations.
According to the agency, the factory was operating under unhygienic conditions, while the suspected operator fled upon the arrival of officials.
NAFDAC said the suspect abandoned a vehicle containing packaging materials bearing the names of Sir Edwards Scotch Whisky and Scottish Hills Whisky, alongside empty bottles and a drum containing about 200 litres of liquid.
Other items recovered from the facility included bottle caps, sealing machines, cartons, tanks containing liquid mixtures, dirty sieves, plastic buckets and 200-litre drums of ethanol.
The agency also reported finding tree bark soaked in ethanol, raising concerns about the materials and methods allegedly used in producing the drinks.
NAFDAC valued the equipment, materials and components of the facility at more than ₦500 million, warning that the discovery raised serious concerns about the safety and quality of the suspected products.
The development comes amid a series of operations by the agency against counterfeit and unsafe goods.
NAFDAC recently said it seized and destroyed counterfeit and unwholesome products worth more than ₦5.3 billion within one week.
The agency also reported a raid at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, where products valued at more than ₦2 billion were seized and two suspects arrested.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has called for stronger measures against fake and substandard food products following previous operations against suspected alcohol-counterfeiting syndicates in Lagos and an illegal juice factory in Badagry.
Naija News understands that under the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, anyone found guilty of producing or selling counterfeit drugs or unwholesome processed foods faces a fine of up to ₦500,000, imprisonment for five to 15 years, or both.
However, the law does not prescribe the death penalty for such offences.
NAFDAC has urged members of the public to report suspected illegal manufacturing activities through its call centre on 0800-1-623322 or 0700-1-623322, or via email at [reforms@nafdac.gov.ng](mailto:reforms@nafdac.gov.ng).
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