Wale Igbintade
A former Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Adebisi Iyaniwura, has petitioned the Senate to contemplate life imprisonment for aggravated counterfeiting offences, a minimal high quality of N20 million and a compulsory 10-year jail time period as a part of proposed measures to curb the circulation of faux and adulterated merchandise in Nigeria.
In a petition dated October 21, 2026, and obtained on the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, Iyaniwura urged the Senate Committees on Industry, Trade and Investment and Health to provoke amendments to present legal guidelines governing the manufacturing, importation, distribution and sale of counterfeit and unwholesome merchandise.
He additionally addressed the petition to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, searching for coordinated legislative and govt motion towards what he described as a critical menace to public well being, shopper security and nationwide safety.
The authorized practitioner expressed concern over the continued circulation of counterfeit items in Nigerian markets, warning that unscrupulous producers, importers, distributors and merchants had been exposing shoppers to merchandise able to inflicting critical sickness, harm and dying.
Describing the follow as a “satanic act”, Iyaniwura accused some enterprise operators of putting earnings above human lives.
“Nigerians are daily being killed by the satanic acts of unscrupulous business people in their desperation to make profits at the cost of Nigerians’ blood,” he wrote.
He argued that counterfeiting shouldn’t be handled merely as industrial fraud, given its potential penalties for public well being, shopper security and bonafide companies.
Among the merchandise recognized within the petition are meals gadgets, prescribed drugs and car spare elements.
According to him, shoppers who unknowingly buy counterfeit merchandise danger struggling monetary losses, critical well being problems and, in some circumstances, dying.
He warned that pretend meals merchandise and medicines may expose shoppers to dangerous substances or merchandise that fail to satisfy established security and high quality requirements.
He additionally raised considerations about substandard car elements, which may compromise car security and contribute to deadly street accidents.
To tackle the issue, Iyaniwura known as for amendments to present laws to introduce stiffer penalties able to deterring people and companies concerned within the manufacture, importation, storage, distribution and sale of counterfeit merchandise.
Under his proposal, offenders would face a minimal high quality of N20 million and a compulsory 10-year jail sentence, whereas life imprisonment could be thought-about for aggravated offences warranting probably the most extreme punishment underneath the proposed framework.
He maintained that more durable sanctions would ship a transparent message that the deliberate manufacture and distribution of doubtless harmful merchandise for monetary achieve ought to appeal to critical felony penalties.
Beyond imprisonment and fines, the previous NBA secretary known as for the forfeiture of premises, properties and different belongings linked to counterfeiting operations.
He proposed that such belongings be forfeited in accordance with relevant proceeds-of-crime laws, arguing that the measure would assist authorities deprive offenders of the monetary advantages of the unlawful commerce and disrupt the networks sustaining it.
Another main proposal is the introduction of provisions requiring counterfeit-related instances to be concluded inside 90 days.
He argued that extended prosecutions may undermine enforcement efforts and permit alleged offenders to proceed working whereas instances stay pending.
He subsequently urged lawmakers to contemplate measures to expedite the willpower of instances involving the manufacturing, importation, storage and distribution of counterfeit items.
The proposed 90-day timeline would, nonetheless, require cautious consideration of court docket procedures, evidential necessities and the capability of the justice system to make sure well timed adjudication with out compromising honest listening to and due course of.
In addition to more durable penalties and expedited trials, Iyaniwura proposed necessary QR-code traceability for consumable merchandise nationwide, starting with prescribed drugs.
Under the proposed system, QR codes would allow shoppers and regulatory authorities to confirm product data and hint items by the availability chain.
He argued that the know-how may assist establish suspicious merchandise, set up their origins, monitor distribution channels and assist investigations into suspected counterfeiting.
The petitioner maintained that combating counterfeiting required a complete strategy combining more durable felony sanctions, asset forfeiture, sooner prosecution and improved product-tracking programs.
He additionally highlighted the implications for official companies, which face unfair competitors when counterfeit merchandise are bought alongside real items.
The petition was obtained on the Federal Secretariat in Abuja on October 21, 2026. No formal response from the related Senate committees or the Attorney General of the Federation was included within the data supplied.
