Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, has arrested a quack Ukrainian-trained doctor and two other fake doctors and sealed 21 illegal medical facilities operating without registration and below minimum standards.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers Ministry of Health, Dr. Vincent Wachukwu, disclosed this on Monday in Port Harcourt during the Third Quarter Press Briefing of the Ministry on the findings of its Inspection, Enforcement and Anti-Quackery Committees.
Dr. Wachukwu said the Ministry embarked on an inspection drive in the third quarter of 2026 following surveillance reports that over 150 health facilities are operating in the state without registration and supervision by the Ministry.
He disclosed that only 20 per cent of registered health facilities comply with the mandatory annual inspection and renewal of the Certificate of Standards as required by the Rivers State Facility Registration Act No. 2 of 2019.
The Permanent Secretary said a total of 21 health facilities were shut down across Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre and Etche Local Government Areas in the third quarter, with three persons arrested for prosecution.
“The facilities include 8 Hospitals, 5 Maternities and 8 Diagnostic Centres. 19 of them were operating without registration and below the minimum standard of the Ministry of Health. Some were registered by the Ministry but were operating below minimum standard as no licensed health worker – doctor or nurse – was present during random inspection,” he said.
The sealed facilities according to him include: Manda Clinic and Maternity, Elelenwo; Vasty Clinic, Omoku; Danny Clinic, Town; Daba Clinic, Town; Kambel Hospital, Abara-Etche; Havilla Hospital, Igwuruta; Golden Era Hospital, Igwuruta; Ola-Oluwa Hospital/Medical Centre, Igwuruta; Sarah Maternity, Belema Polo, Enugu Waterside, Borokiri; and 12 other hospitals, maternities and diagnostic facilities across PHALGA, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre and others Etche whose names were withheld pending investigation.
Dr. Wachukwu said the operation that led to the closure of Manda Clinic and Maternity and 20 other facilities was a joint operation with NAPTIP following a case of suspected child trafficking.
“RSMOH and the State Command of NAPTIP conducted a joint operation and sealed up MANDA Clinic and Maternity located in Elelenwo area and 20 other facilities across Rivers State. The operation was sequel to suspected child trafficking racketeering in which a Liberian national revealed the procurement of three children within a month from the facility. Investigations found the facility operating without registration, no licensed medical practitioners. Operators were arrested by NAPTIP while we sealed up the facility.”
He also disclosed the arrest of a fake Ukrainian-trained doctor identified as Isaac, operating an illegal hospital in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
“Havilla Hospital in Igwuruta, Ikwerre LGA is an unregistered facility operated by Mr. Isaac who was conducting free medical outreaches. He is alleged to have been Ukraine-trained in 2013, but without MDCN license, without supervised training, operates an unregistered facility. He has been arrested and will be referred to MDCN.
“Ola-Oluwa Medical Centre is also an unregistered facility operated by one Mr. Sunday Ogundele. He has no medical training or license but operates a medical centre in his family residence. He has been arrested and handed over to the NPF for prosecution for impersonation while his facility was sealed,” he said.
According to him, Kambel Hospital, Abara-Etche and Golden Era Hospital, Igwuruta were shut down because they had no licensed health professional operating the facilities, while Sarah Maternity, Belema Polo, Enugu Waterside, Borokiri, operated by a popular social media TBA influencer with a patient load of over 1,000 women and daily traffic of over 200 women, was visited by the enforcement team.
The Permanent Secretary said, “We used the opportunity to establish practice guidelines, supervision and advertisement. She was issued an official warning and served as a contact point to other TBAs and maternities on the need for supervision and training.”
He said 16 other facilities sealed were found to be unregistered and did not meet the minimum standards of the State Facility Registration Act.
The Ministry reiterated the commitment of the Rivers government to stamp out quackery in the state.
“Rivers State Ministry of Health is fully committed to its regulatory function and is committed to eradicating quackery from Rivers State as part of its mandate on health security. This exercise is a continuation of the anti-quackery mandate to stamp out all unregistered facilities and facilities operated without minimum standards.”
He mandated all registered facilities to display their Certificate of Standards at their reception as the quality assurance check for health security, and advised the public to only access care in facilities with verified certificates. “We appeal to members of the public to also notify the Ministry of any suspicious medical practices.”
He also announced the commencement of the 2026 enforcement drive against all facilities defaulting on annual inspection and renewal of certificate, and thanked stakeholders and security agencies including the NPF, NSCDC, NAPTIP, Immigration Service, NMA Rivers and other professional bodies for their support in upholding the ethics of medical practice.
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