The Rivers State Interprofessional Anti-Quackery Committee has sealed six substandard health facilities across the state, and arrested two suspects for alleged quackery and related offences while some others were summoned for disciplinary action.
In a statement signed by Hope Avundaa on behalf of the committee, the operations carried out on Friday, August 22, 2025, were said to have targeted clinics, pharmacies, and makeshift hospitals found to be operating illegally.
According to the committee, one of the facilities was exposed as a three-bedroom apartment converted into a hospital, and was run by one of the suspects, who allegedly posed as a doctor and carried out maternity and surgical services without proper licences.
The facility’s registration was said to have been revoked over a decade ago, and no certified medical personnel were found on site.
The suspect is also said to be facing prosecution for quackery and impersonation.
Similarly, another facility, a building with three rooms converted into a hospital, was sealed.
The centre reportedly carried out surgeries and trained auxiliary nurses under the supervision of a one-month post-internship doctor.
Both the proprietor and the young doctor were referred to the Rivers State Ministry of Health and the Nigerian Medical Association’s (NMA) disciplinary panel.
The crackdown also extended to a pharmacy in Omagwa, owned by an auxiliary nurse discovered to be running consultations and administering intravenous drugs.
The premises were shut down, and the case was referred to the Director of Pharmaceutical Services.
In Okporo, the committee sealed a medical centre, a residential duplex that doubled as an NGO, and an unregistered nursing school.
Its proprietor was summoned for further investigation.
The statement by the committee further revealed that in Aluu, it investigated allegations against one Rejoice Ogubie, a patent medicine dealer accused of administering IV drugs and traditional birth services.
While she denied the claims, she was issued a stern warning and advised to restrict her services to over-the-counter medications.
Speaking on the outcome of the operation, the Chairman of the NMA in Rivers State, Diamond Tamunokuro, said, “There is a pressing need for proper orientation of young doctors to maintain ethical standards in their practice and resist pressures to work in quack facilities.”
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