Reps want death penalty for fake adulterated drug producers

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives on Thursday asked  the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to propose amendments to existing laws that would impose stricter penalties, including the death penalty, on the production and circulation of fake and adulterated drugs in Nigeria.

The House equally urged the government to strengthen regulatory agencies like NAFDAC, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the Nigerian Customs Service by providing adequate funding, modern equipment, and advanced technology for better surveillance and enforcement.

The Green Chamber also recommended establishing a special task force comprising security agencies, regulatory bodies, and the judiciary to fast-track investigations and prosecutions of counterfeit drug producers.

The House resolutions followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Tolani Shagaya (APC, Kwara), who  argued that current penalties were too lenient to deter offenders.

The House further directed its Committees on Health, Commerce, and Industry to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the prevalence of counterfeit products and recommend legislative measures to close regulatory loopholes.

Leading the debate on the motion, Shagaya raised an alarm about the alarming increase in the production, importation and distribution of fake and substandard goods, drugs, food and beverages across Nigeria, which poses significant threats to public health, national security and economic stability.

The Lawmaker said that, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have repeatedly warned that Nigeria is one of the most affected countries in the world by counterfeit medicines, contributing to thousands of avoidable deaths annually.