Fake medical doctor arrested in Bayelsa

• Nigeria Police Force has arrested Doubara Esamasuode, a medical doctor operating without a license in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, under Zone 16 command.

• The suspect, who operated an illicit practice under the name St. Maximilian Medical Centre in Winners Junction, was paraded to the media during a press briefing on August 29, 2024.

• Esamasuode, spokesperson for Zone 16, was arrested on August 25, 2024, by detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department’s Surveillance and Intelligence unit, according to SP Emonena Gunn.

The Nigeria Police Force’s Zone 16 command has apprehended an individual named Doubara Esamasuode, who has been practicing medicine illegally in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, without the necessary license.

The suspect operated his unauthorized medical practice under the name St. Maximilian Medical Centre, situated at Winners Junction in the Etegwe area. He was presented to the media during a press conference held on Thursday, August 29, 2024.

As reported by SP Emonena Gunn, the spokesperson for Zone 16, Esamasuode was taken into custody on August 25, 2024, by detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department’s Surveillance and Intelligence unit.

A search of the facility yielded various medical supplies, including syringes, medications, hospital equipment, and 200 ultrasound reports. Additionally, officers discovered an enlarged photograph that was later determined to be a fraudulent convocation picture. SP Gunn indicated that Esamasuode has admitted to multiple offenses, such as impersonating a medical doctor, operating an illegal medical establishment, forgery, and impersonation.

He emphasized that this arrest serves as a clear warning against criminal activities in the region and noted that the investigation is ongoing, with the suspect likely to face charges in court shortly.

The spokesperson also called on the public to stay alert and collaborate with law enforcement by providing timely information that could aid in the capture of criminal offenders.

One of Esamasuode’s victims, who chose to remain anonymous, recounted her troubling experience with the fraudulent doctor. She explained that a relative had referred her to him, believing his treatments could assist her in conceiving.

“Trying to get pregnant. I decided to give it a try. He checked me and said my body is okay, that I was going to conceive in three months. I will go for a scan. My initial payment was N30,000,” she narrated.

“He gave me an injection and gave me seven days, calculating my fertile window and told me that I should meet with my husband, which I did religiously. After that he told me that I was pregnant and gave me a tablet which I later came to find out that it is what ceased my period and not because I was pregnant.

“The name of the tablet is primolut N. He asked me to take it for three months after which I should go for a scan. After the three months, I went for a scan and it was negative and he told me that some results does not always show in first three months, because of the type of treatment and injections used for the process, that I should give it sometime and that it was going to reflect in the scan.

“After waiting for some time, I noticed that there was no progress and I started bleeding. He referred me to someone else to massage me to stop the bleeding, which I went for and I paid N70,000 for that treatment.

“After that he made mention that the delivery is going to cost N5.6m since I am carrying twins, which raised some concerns and I started researching about it. That was when I found out that the drug was just stopping my period and that my period did not cease because of pregnancy.

“I went for a separate scan without telling him. I went for a trans-vaginal scan and they said even if the pregnancy is a week old the scan will be able to detect it. I told him I am not pregnant and there was nobody hiding anywhere. He said it is because it is a cryptic pregnancy. I asked him if cryptic means the woman would not be aware that she is pregnant? He kept on giving excuses.

“At some point, an insider in the hospital told me that I need a particular drug for delivery which will cost N5.6m. Like he said before and the doctor does not have the drugs for now. So we have to go to Port Harcourt.

“We went there and it was the same story that I was pregnant with twins and delivery will cost N5.6m. The more I researched about it, the more I became convinced that it was not real. Though they have equipment, it is like a normal hospital but we saw no certificate and picture frame of the doctor. So we decided to pull out and went to FMC to flush my system.”

Another victim also came forward, detailing how she nearly lost her life after following the fake doctor’s instructions.

“I took the drugs the doctor prescribed for me, after my period ceased for six months and all of a sudden I bled to a point that I felt I was going to pass out,” she explained.

In response to the allegations, Doubara Esamasuode acknowledged his actions but asserted that the photograph in question was incorrectly identified as a convocation image by the photographer.

He also admitted to utilizing the medical equipment he had, recognizing his position as an impostor doctor. He appealed for leniency, referencing an incident that hindered his ability to finish his studies at the University of Abuja in 2019.

“For the medical items, I make use of them, I am a fake doctor. I started this business in 2019 when I got admission into the University of Abuja, but could not continue the school because of an accident,” he said.