Breaking: Lawmakers Demand Life Sentences For Fake Drug Dealers

Breaking: Lawmakers Demand Life Sentences For Fake Drug Dealers

The House of Representatives has raised alarm over the escalating production, importation, and distribution of counterfeit drugs, foods, and goods in Nigeria, calling for life imprisonment for offenders to curb the menace…..READ MORE

Lawmakers emphasized that the current legal framework lacks the necessary deterrence, allowing offenders to return to illicit activities due to lenient fines and bailable sentences. To address this, the House urged Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi to propose amendments to existing laws, enforcing harsher penalties—including life sentences for those involved in producing and importing fake drugs, and hefty fines for businesses engaged in counterfeit trade.

Additionally, the House directed its Committees on Health, Commerce, and Industry to launch a comprehensive investigation into the prevalence of counterfeit products and recommend legislative solutions to close regulatory gaps. The Committees on Legislative Compliance, Customs and Excise, and Health were also tasked with ensuring strict enforcement of these measures.

These resolutions followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Muktar Shagaya, representing Ilorin West Federal Constituency, who called for a state of emergency on counterfeit products. Shagaya highlighted the recent seizure of fake food and pharmaceutical products worth over ₦5 billion by NAFDAC in Aba’s Cemetery Market as evidence of the widespread issue.

He further revealed that Nigeria faces annual economic losses of around ₦15 trillion due to counterfeit and substandard goods, citing the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). Shagaya stressed that the unchecked proliferation of fake products threatens consumer safety and deters genuine investment in the food and pharmaceutical sectors.

Despite existing regulations, weak enforcement, corruption, and lenient penalties have emboldened perpetrators, Shagaya noted.

In response, the House urged the Federal Government to bolster the capacity of regulatory agencies like NAFDAC, SON, and the Nigerian Customs Service through increased funding, modern equipment, and advanced technology for effective surveillance and enforcement.

The Lower Chamber also recommended establishing a special task force comprising security agencies, regulatory bodies, and the judiciary to expedite investigations and prosecutions of individuals and businesses involved in counterfeiting.