Senate President, Dr. Abuba­kar Bukola Saraki has said that individuals convicted for production and sale of coun­terfeit and fake drugs, as well as unwholesome processed foods risked facing life imprisonment.

Saraki, who stated this at a public hearing on a Bill for an Act to Amend the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and unwhole­some processed Foods Act, also said convicted individuals risked stiff fines of up to N2 million. He added that upon convic­tion, assets acquired would be forfeited to the Federal Govern­ment.

According to him, the amend­ment of the Act is aimed at strengthening punitive measures against persons involved in such unwholesome practice. "In 2008, thousands of Ni­gerian children started taking a teething medicine that contained toxic chemicals.

"By February 2009 over 90 Nigeria babies had died from consuming the mixture. This is despicable and to say the least unacceptable," he said. The President of the Senate stressed that the amendment of the bill would no doubt provide Nigerians the much needed food security, disease free society and required standards for soil sci­ences.

Chairman of the Senate Com­mittee on Health, Senator Olan­rewaju Tejuoso, said the senate had continued to give opportu­nity to Nigerians to contribute their quota to matters of national importance, particularly health. He said the World Health Or­ganisation (WHO) has revealed that about $32 billion was lost to drug counterfeiting business in 2004 and $40 billion dollars in 2006.