The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has renewed its call for harsher penalties for counterfeiters.

The agency proposed death sentences or life imprisonment for those convicted of counterfeiting regulated products in Nigeria.

NAFDAC Director-General, Prof.

Adeyeye said the penalties should be incorporated into the NAFDAC Act and Counterfeit and Fake Drugs Act.

She said tougher sanctions would strengthen Nigeria’s fight against counterfeit, substandard, falsified and unwholesome regulated products.

“We need stricter penalties, including the death penalty or life imprisonment, for counterfeiters,” Adeyeye said.

According to her, NAFDAC secured 64 convictions for counterfeiting nationwide between June 2025 and June 2026.

She said the convictions attracted prison sentences ranging from one to seven years, without the option of a fine.

Adeyeye said the convictions included a five-year sentence for faking Global Fund Artemether, an antimalarial medicine.

Another five-year sentence was imposed over counterfeit cough and cold syrup containing codeine, she said.

She added that other cases involving counterfeit ointments and condoms attracted 12-month prison sentences.

According to Adeyeye, seven-year prison sentences were secured for counterfeit antibiotics and a woman involved in pharmaceutical counterfeiting.

The director-general described counterfeiters as “merchants of death”, stressing that NAFDAC would maintain zero tolerance toward their activities.

She said the agency would intensify enforcement against substandard, falsified and unwholesome regulated products across the country.

Adeyeye noted that NAFDAC’s enforcement records since 2023 showed billions of naira worth of products seized.

She said the agency had also recorded hundreds of arrests, dozens of convictions and destruction of confiscated products.

The NAFDAC chief said the agency’s enforcement efforts were necessary despite the “brazenness” of merchants involved in the illicit trade.

She said counterfeit products posed serious risks to public health and undermined legitimate manufacturers operating within the regulated pharmaceutical market.

On the ban on alcoholic drinks in sachets and small plastic bottles, Adeyeye said manufacturers were complying with enforcement measures.

“Manufacturers are already dismantling their production lines or reconfiguring them for other non-alcoholic products,” she said.

She attributed the development to NAFDAC’s ban and intensified enforcement against manufacturers of the affected alcoholic beverages.

NAFDAC announced a nationwide ban on alcoholic drinks in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml in January.

The agency has subsequently intensified enforcement of the prohibition, targeting production, distribution and sale of the banned alcoholic products. (NAN)

From Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo

The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has approved the deployment of Commandant Toma Mathew Enya as the new Commandant of the Osun State Command.

Commandant Toma, who was redeployed from Ekiti State Command to Osun, officially assumed office yesterday, Monday, 7th September, 2026, taking over from Commandant Igbalawole Sotiyo at the Command Headquarters.

Shortly after the handing-over ceremony at the State Command Headquarters, the former Commandant,  Igbalawole Sotiyo, led the newly deployed Commandant to the Government Office, Abere, where he was warmly received on behalf of the Executive Governor of Osun State, His Excellency, Senator  Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, by the Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi.

Speaking during the visit, the newly deployed Commandant assured the Deputy Governor that under his leadership, intelligence gathering and sharing would be further strengthened, while the Command would remain committed to ensuring adequate protection of lives and property across the state.

The Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi, welcomed the new Commandant to Osun State and assured him that the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke would provide the necessary support to NSCDC to enable the Corps discharge its statutory mandates and contribute meaningfully to the security and development of the state.

Commandant Toma Mathew Enya, the 18th State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Osun State Command, hails from Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State.

 He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

He has served the Corps in various operational, investigative and administrative capacities, gaining extensive experience in security operations and management.

Commandant Toma has also attended a remarkable array of professional courses both within and outside Nigeria, further enhancing his expertise in security architecture, leadership and administration.

President Volodymyr Zelensky is holding talks with Donald Trump’s top envoys, in their first visit to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The Ukrainian leader greeted Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at Kyiv’s St Sophia Cathedral, close to where a Russian drone hit the headquarters of Ukraine’s security services on Friday.

Ahead of the meeting, Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to talk about bringing “the end of the war closer”.

On Saturday, the two envoys met Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks on ending the war that were described as “frank” and “constructive” by the Kremlin.

The envoys travelled to Kyiv by train after flying to Poland – Zelensky told the media that it was not possible for them to land their plane despite preparations.

Putin and Zelensky agreed to halt strikes on each other’s capitals for three days while the negotiators carry out their trip.

While Witkoff and Kushner were in talks at the Kremlin on Saturday, Zelensky said he and his team were “ready for a substantive conversation”.

On Sunday, Zelensky wrote on social media that his country “has always been and will remain constructive”.

“We are interested in bringing the end of the war closer. Peace is needed. Security guarantees are needed.

“A dignified character of the postwar peace is needed. Our proposals are ready,” he said.

Overnight, Russian and Ukrainian forces continued to exchange strikes, with Ukraine confirming they struck an oil refinery, an airfield, and two air defence systems.

The country’s defence ministry said they targeted the Ryazan oil refinery, which supplies the Russian army, and an airfield in Rostov-on-Don.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia attacked Ukraine with 108 long-range drones and small cruise missiles.

The country’s air defences downed 82 drones and six missiles, but 11 locations were hit, with debris falling at a further seven sites.

Saturday’s talks in Moscow lasted three hours and were held behind closed doors in Putin’s official residence in the heart of the Russian capital, according to Russian state media.

Details are still emerging, but both sides have given broadly positive remarks without going into specifics.

Putin adviser Yuri Ushakov described the talks as “constructive, extremely frank”.

“The talks were not limited to an exchange of views on resolving the Ukrainian crisis – economic issues and potential major, mutually beneficial Russian-American projects were discussed in considerable detail,” he said.

Ushakov also said “note was made of the Russian army’s tangible advances in the combat zone” and that there was acknowledgement that talks needed to address “the root causes of the conflict”.

Despite an escalation of Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Russian ground forces have made very slow advances for most of the conflict, incurring enormous casualties. Russia still controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory – areas that it seized back in 2022.

The talks come after Russia and Ukraine have intensified aerial attacks in recent months.

Ukraine says it has struggled to repel ballistic missile attacks due to a lack of interceptor missiles, while Kyiv has focused its strikes on Russian economic infrastructure targets, notably oil installations.