Court remands fake doctor in Cross River State

Cross River state government has continued its war against quackery in the health sector as the Taskforce on Health Quality and Anti-quackery, recently, apprehended a fake doctor and closed down his facility at Ngarabe, Ekureku, Abi local government area of Cross River State.

The alleged quack, Collins Emeka Orji, had operated a health facility at Ngarabe, Ekureku, Abi LGA, while accosted by the State Taskforce on Health Quality and Anti-quackery among security operatives, made unsubstantiated claims of being a medical doctor. He was, afterwards, arrested by the police, immediately charged to court and remanded in prison custody by the Magistrate court in Itigidi, Abi LGA, having failed to meet bail conditions.

Local sources informed that Orji operated Excellent Hospital, Ngarabe, Ekureku, until the Cross River State Taskforce on Health Quality and Anti Quackery stormed his facility on Thursday, 11th July 2024, sealed it and apprehended the alleged fake doctor.

“When the Taskforce arrived the facility with a team of police officers, they met Collins Orji, and after some interrogation, it was discovered that he was not a medical doctor and had no professional medical training. His facility was also not registered with the state government,” another source told us.

A video of the interaction made available to the media, Orji was seen making claims to have been trained as a homeopathic doctor; a claim he could not validate.

Cross River Anti-quackery Task Force

The Coordinator of the Taskforce, Dr Dan Abubakar told newsmen that the alleged quack, Orji, had no license to practice medicine and surgery in Nigeria and did not attend any medical institution, but carried out surgical operated on his patients in his consulting room and had no qualified nursing stall.

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The Taskforce further revealed that the two young girls at the facility impersonating as nurses, confessed during interrogation that they were only working there as volunteers after both dropping out of secondary school, alluding to not having any nursing training.

“We were satisfied that he had no registrable credentials with the Medical & Dental Council of Nigeria. We sealed Excellent Hospital, Ngarabe, Ekureku, before we took him to the police station, Itigidi,” Dr Dan Abubakar added.

Orji who appeared before the Magistrate court, Itigidi, on 12th July 2024, was tried and granted bail, subject to a further hearing. But unable to meet the bail conditions, he was remanded in custody at the Obubra Correctional Centre, with the matter adjourned to 9th August 2024, for further hearing.

Further investigations also revealed that Orji had in the past operated a medical facility in Ugep as St. Collins Hospital, in Ibogo, Biase LGA as Common Wealth Clinic, and now Excellent Hospital Ngarabe Ekureku in Abi LGA.

Watch the video below