CoverCrime

DSS arrests ‘butcher of Adamawa’, fake doctor who allegedly performed hundreds of surgeries

By Ibrahim Abdul’Aziz

The Department of State Security in Adamawa State, Thursday evening, paraded, before newsmen, a technician who practised as a medical doctor for five years during which he sent several Nigerians to premature graves through botched surgeries.

Briefing newsmen on the activities of the suspected quack and his collaborator-a practising doctor who loaned him his degrees, the state director of the DSS, Mr Bola Olori, said Ibrahim Mustpha operated for five years as a Principal Medical Officer at the Fufore Cottage Hospital in Fufore Llocal Government Area of the state, under the supervision of the state’s Health Services Management Board.

But the duo met their water-loo when some good Nigerians tipped off the DSS on their illegal operations which have claimed a yet-to-be-accounted number of lives.

According to Olori, the suspect, who has a National Board for Technical Education Certificate, had perfected his illicit act in Gombe where he operated as a ward attendant in several clinics before migrating to Adamawa State to ply his evil vocation.

“He was aided by a practicing doctor who gave him his NECO certificate, MBBS (degree) from the Bayero University Kano, NYSC discharge certificate, that of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria annual registration license, all of which he forged.”

Armed with this, he gained employment into the Adamawa State Health Services Management Board, in October 2015, as a medical doctor; and rose to the position of Principal Medical Officer.

Before nemesis caught up with him, Mustapha had reportedly practised at Cottage Hospitals at both Mayo Belwa and Fufore.

“Prior to his arrest, suspect had, in the last five years, performed hundreds of surgical operations in several hospitals in the state,” the state’s Director of DSS further informed.

Now at their wit’s end, Mustapha and his co-traveller will soon tell a court all they know about the case as the DSS has promised that the department will charge the duo to court as soon as investigation into the matter ends.

Mr. Bola Olori
Mr. Bola Olori

“The service strongly condemns this dastardly act and urges unsuspecting members of the public to be wary of these merchants of death, who for pecuniary reasons endanger human lives,” Olori said, concluding the briefing.

Thanking the Nigerian Medical Association for their role in tracking the suspect and his collaborator, Olori said: “The DSS therefore welcomes credible information from well-meaning Nigerians on the antics of these unscrupulous elements with a view to containing their activities.”

The Crest’s correspondent in Yola reports that the fake doctor was arrested last Thursday following a tip-off.

A male resident of Mayo-Belwa who spoke to our correspondent in Hausa language, and who craved anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case, said ‘Dr Ibrahim’, as Mustapha is popularly called, “started as a good doctor at the cottage hospital, but, later, he changed and became disrespectful to our elders. Because of this, he was transferred out of the town.

”We even wrote a petition to the state Health Management Board and state House of Assembly against his crimes which include: making away with some valuable property of the cottage hospital.

“Unfortunately, our petitions were swept under the carpet by both the Health Management Board and the last state House of Assembly members.

”He was then transferred to Fufore Cottage Hospital. And as if to punish us, we, the people of Mayo-Belwa, had no doctor deployed to us until a few months ago. We spent about one and the half years without a medical doctor at Mayo Cottage Hospital.”

Another resident, Danladi Muhammad, corroborated the story, regretting that “the same Dr. Ibrahim” operated his father on August 7, 2017, and the father died the following morning.

Muhammed accused the suspect of selling “some important instruments at Mayo Belwa and was treated like a king by the hospital management agency.”

“We reported these and other complaints to the last Adamawa State House of Assembly but they didn’t mind us,” Muhammed said.

Wallahi, all these things didn’t happen by mistake. The board knows about everything. They could not have employed such a criminal as a medical doctor without a proper interview, regardless of the certificates he might have presented. Let the government set up a committee to investigate this matter and invite us. We are ready to testify.”

While receiving in audience, members of the Health Services Management Board, on Wednesday, the Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, expressed dismay and sadness at the development, saying nobody should suffer the kind of fate the fake doctor subjected his victims to.

Consequently, he announced that his government will set up an independent committee of inquiry to probe the matter.

“A committee will be immediately set up to investigate the matter and fish out other quack medical doctors in the state so that to bring them to book and sanitize the healthcare sector,” Governor Fintiri said.

“I am highly disturbed by this unhealthy development, which I learnt, has led to the death of about 15 persons.

“No government will take this kind of thing kindly. Whoever is involved must face the wrath of law. This is wickedness, and government will not condone it.”

The governor also revealed that another technical committee will be constituted to look into the laws establishing the Specialist and German Hospitals in Yola with a view to bringing the two hospitals together and enhance healthcare delivery in the state.

 

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