NIGERIA – A 60-year-old fake doctor identified as Charles George has been arrested for treating COVID-19 patients.
The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria who confirmed the suspect’s arrest on Thursday August 20, said he was apprehended at his one-room apartment at Block 1, Julius Berger Junior Staff Quarters popularly known as Berger Camp in Kubwa, by police detectives from the office of the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory.
Syringe (for abortion) and kidney dish among others were recovered from the fake doctor who was accused of subjecting his clients to unprofessional medical treatment which “may lead to sudden and unnatural death.”
The police presented a fake letterhead and COVID-19 cure threat SMS which the suspect was allegedly blackmailing his clients with, said in its statement;
“George has been vetted as a regular customer of the FCDA Police Station and Kubwa Area Command Headquarters for several matters in connection with mixed medicine and extortion of his clients since 2016.”
The Deputy Registrar and Head of the Inspectorate Department of the MDCN, Dr. Victor Gbenro on his own part said;
“The arrest of the suspected fake medical/alternative medicine practitioner, by name Dr. Charles George, at his Kubwa premises is a major breakthrough for the MDCN under the leadership of the Registrar, Dr. Tajudeen Sanusi.
“Acting on an intelligence report from the IG intelligence team, the Inspectorate Department of the MDCN as directed by the registrar effected the successful arrest of the fake doctor, who has been defrauding unsuspecting members of the public and posing as a member of the NCDC COVID-19 team.
“The suspect is alleged to have been practising alternative medicine without registration or licence from the MDCN, which is statutorily mandated to regulate the practice of medical, dental and alternative medicine in Nigeria.
“Investigation revealed that his practice is not known or registered by the FCDA Private Health Facility Registration Agency. The police have commenced further investigation and prosecution of the suspect. This is one among the several efforts of the council at sanitising the medical profession in the country.”
