A doctor, employed by Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Ogbor Hill in Aba, Abia State, Peter Ifeanyichukwu, has been arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Osisioma Local Government Area.
He is on trial for alleged impersonation and illegal possession of a fake MBBS certificate.
Police prosecutor Victor Mbama said the offences are punishable under Section 467 and 484 of the Criminal Code Act.
He said the suspect should be remanded in custody because he could jump bail.
The magistrate, however, ordered that Ifeanyichukwu be remanded in the Aba Federal Prison till Friday.
It was gathered that the accused worked at Living Word Hospital.
Sources said he had featured on the Nigerian Television Authority Channel 6, Aba, where he spoke on the dangers of smoking.
They also said Ifeanyichukwu claimed that he was a student of the School of Health, Aba and worked in various clinics and hospitals.
Another source alleged that the management of Living Word Hospital terminated his appointment after complications arose in a case he handled.
Narrating how the suspect was arrested, the Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Aba zone, Dr. U.N Onwuchekwa, said: “He was arrested after Dr. Anaele Agu alerted the NMA at a conference, for doctors in Aba, where he (Ifeanyichukwu) introduced himself as a doctor and a representative of the chief medical director of Seventh Day Adventist Hospital.
“Initially, he told us he was a graduate of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT). We also asked him some other questions which he couldn’t answer.
“It was at that time that we had to invite the police. When the police interrogated him further, he admitted he was a fake doctor.
“Upon his confessional statement, a house search was conducted. During the search, a blank MBBS certificate bearing the logo of the University of Port Harcourt’s Medical School was found in his house.”
When our reporter visited Living Word Hospital, a source said Ifeanyichukwu was never employed there.
He said: “Ifeanyichukwu did not stay up to a week in our hospital. He presented an affidavit in which he claimed that he lost his results and other documents after he finished his youth service.
“After the oral interview, the panel gave him one week to bring his practising licence which is renewable every year and until now, he has not come back.
“Our policy in this hospital is that before any doctor is employed, he must present all the documents.”
Who knows how many people have died in the hand of this butcher of Aba. By the way, some going around with MBBS certificates and document are no better in any case. This is way the local herbs (AGBO) is gradually gaining popularity because one visits such doctors if one has malaria only to be "robbed" of huge sums of money and at the end taking a prescription that damages ones health more. May God help us in this country!
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