DSS Nabs Fake Doctor who Allegedly Killed 15 Patients in Adamawa

Malik Yahya/

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested one Ibrahim Mustapha, who it claimed operated illegally as a medical doctor with the Adamawa State Government since 2015.

The State Director of the DSS, Bola Olori, who paraded the suspect before journalists today in Yola, said Mustapha started out as a ward attendant in Gombe State before being employed in Adamawa State as a medical doctor with forged medical certificates.

The DSS boss said preliminary investigations revealed that Mustapha only possesses an NBTE certificate.

“He perfected the act in Gombe where he worked as a ward attendant in several clinics.

“He was aided by a practising doctor who gave him sample copies of his NECO result, MBBS of Bayero University Kano, NYSC discharge certificate and that of medical and Dental Council of Nigeria annual registration license, all of which he forged.

“The suspect subsequently gained employment into the Adamawa State Health Management Board in October 2015 as a doctor and rose to the post of Principal Medical Officer, serving at both the cottage hospitals in Mayo Belwa and Fufore.

“Prior to his arrest, the suspect had in the past five years performed hundreds of surgical operations in several hospitals in the state.

“The suspect and his accomplice have been taken into custody. They will be prosecuted after investigations,” Olori further disclosed.

In an earlier briefing yesterday, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri said the suspect was responsible for the death of 15 people.

Fintiri, who spoke at a ministerial briefing at the Council Chamber of the Government House, Yola, disclosed that the fake doctor killed 15 patients through unprofessional surgeries at the Mayo-Belwa and Fufore cottage hospitals in the course of his five-year unlicenced clinical practice.

The governor expressed dismay over the occurrence and said his administration would soon set up a committee to fish out fake medical doctors in the state with a view to sanitising the healthcare sector in the state.

In an interview with journalists shortly after the parade, the suspect denied killing any of his patients, insisting that his plight was a result of conspiracy among his colleagues who were envious of his accomplishments.

His words: “I have not regretted my actions because I did it in the interest of serving the people. There’s no patient that died due to complications resulting from any of surgeries I have carried out.

“I have performed hundreds of major and minor surgeries and I can tell you not one among my patients lost his life.

“The reason why I could not go to school was due to the fact that I hailed from a poor background and my parents could not sponsor my education.

”Having confidence in my abilities to perform the job of surgery well, my friend decided to help me with his documents which I had been using.

“My arrest was not as a result of any quackery. It was a set up by someone who was not happy that I recently passed a test by the National Hajj Commission, which he who studied the profession failed.

“Because of envy, the person exposed my secrets to the security agencies. Before this incident, I had the intention of going back to school this year.”

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