Onanuga Demands Death Penalty for Alcohol Counterfeiters

Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has advocated for the death penalty for counterfeiters, asserting that tougher punishments are necessary to deter their activities. This statement was made on Wednesday in response to a report from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) regarding a raid on a suspected fake alcohol factory located at No. 25 Omenazu Street, Aba, Abia State.

NAFDAC officials conducted the raid based on credible intelligence and found the factory operating under unsanitary conditions. The suspected operator fled the scene, leaving behind a vehicle with packaging materials for Sir Edwards Scotch Whisky and Scottish Hills Whisky, empty bottles, and a drum containing approximately 200 litres of liquid.

Additional items recovered included sealing machines, bottle caps, and 200-litre drums of ethanol. NAFDAC assessed the value of the seized equipment and materials at over ₦500 million, raising significant concerns about the safety and quality of the counterfeit products.

This incident is part of NAFDAC's ongoing efforts against counterfeit goods, which recently included the seizure of products worth over ₦5.3 billion.