Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, has called for the death penalty for counterfeiters, saying it is the only way to stop their activities.
Advertisements
He made the call on his X account on Wednesday, October 21, reacting to a report by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The agency had announced the discovery of a suspected counterfeit alcohol production facility in Aba, Abia State.
Advertisements
Onanuga condemned those behind such operations, saying they have no conscience and will not stop unless they face capital punishment.
“These counterfeiters certainly have no conscience. Until we start imposing a death penalty on them, they will never stop their nefarious activities,” he wrote.
Mixed reactions online
The post drew many comments from readers, with opinion divided on the proposal. Some backed it outright, with one commenter saying counterfeiters are “also killers” and another pointing to rising liver and kidney damage that they blamed on fake products.
Others turned the argument back on the government. Several asked why the same penalty should not apply to looters of public funds, bandits, terrorists, drug barons and corrupt politicians. A few accused officials of double standards, while one commenter said the principle should apply to election riggers as well.
Advertisements
