Fake drugs: Metuh advocates stiffer penalties, says five-year jail term inadequate

By Musa Baba Adamu

Elder statesman and Director of Mobilisation and Organisation for the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA), Chief Olisa Metuh, has called on the National Assembly to review existing laws governing fake drugs and adulterated consumer products, arguing that a five-year jail term or N5 million fine is insufficient punishment for offenders.

Metuh urged the Federal Government to adopt tougher measures against the production and distribution of counterfeit drugs and substandard consumer items following Wednesday’s conviction of a businessman, Innocent Okoye, by the Federal High Court in Abia State for producing and distributing fake Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Okoye was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with an option of a N5 million fine, a penalty Metuh described as a mere slap on the wrist that risks encouraging unscrupulous manufacturers to view counterfeiting as a profitable business venture.

He warned that adulterated medicines, food, beverages, cosmetics, and household products pose severe risks to public health, causing illnesses, organ damage, and preventable deaths among unsuspecting consumers.

Arguing that the absence of direct physical confrontation does not render product counterfeiting any less dangerous than violent crime, the lawyer called on the National Assembly to urgently amend legislation governing drug counterfeiting and product falsification.

He advocated longer prison sentences comparable to those prescribed for serious violent offences when counterfeiting results in death or grievous injury, alongside fines proportionate to illicit profits, mandatory asset forfeiture, facility closures, victim compensation, and product recalls.

Metuh further called for the prosecution of corporate executives, manufacturers, importers, and distributors who knowingly facilitate the circulation of counterfeit goods, emphasizing that stiffer penalties must be paired with swift prosecution and consistent enforcement.

The call comes as the Senate in July 2026 passed for second reading the Counterfeit Medical Products, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Prohibition and Control) Bill, 2026.

The proposed legislation seeks to prescribe a 15-year prison term for offenders upon conviction, alongside asset forfeiture, victim compensation, and expanded enforcement powers for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).