Fake medical doctor nabbed in Bayelsa

Doubara Esamasuode was arrested by the Zone 16 command of the Nigeria Police Force for operating as a fake medical doctor in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, admitting to multiple charges including forgery and impersonation, after deceiving patients and using unlicensed medical equipment.

The Zone 16 command of the Nigeria Police Force has arrested a man identified as Doubara Esamasuode, who has been practicing as a medical doctor without a license in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The suspect, who operated under the guise of St. Maximilian Medical Centre at Winners Junction in the Etegwe area, was presented to the media during a press briefing on Thursday, August 29, 2024.

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

During a search of the facility, authorities seized various medical supplies, including syringes, assorted drugs, hospital equipment, and 200 ultrasound reports. An enlarged photograph, which was later identified as a fake convocation picture, was also found.

SP Gunn disclosed that Doubara Esamasuode has admitted to multiple charges, including practicing as a fake medical doctor, running an unlicensed medical facility, forgery, and impersonation. He emphasized that the arrest sends a clear message that criminal activities will not be tolerated in the zone and noted that the investigation is ongoing, with the suspect expected to face court proceedings soon.

The spokesperson also called on the public to stay vigilant and collaborate with law enforcement by providing timely information that could help in capturing criminal elements.

One of Esamasuode’s victims, who requested anonymity, shared her distressing encounter with the fake doctor, describing how she had been referred to him by a relative and believed his treatments could help her conceive.

She narrated her experience, including paying N30,000 initially, receiving injections, and being misled into thinking she was pregnant when she was not. After further investigation and experiencing severe bleeding, she realized the doctor’s deception and sought proper medical help elsewhere.

“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 came forward, recounting how she nearly lost her life after following the fake doctor’s instructions. She explained how taking the prescribed drugs caused her period to cease for six months, and then she suddenly began bleeding profusely.

“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.

When questioned, Doubara Esamasuode admitted to his actions but claimed that the photograph identified as a convocation picture was a mistake made by the photographer. He also acknowledged using the medical equipment found in his possession, confirming his status as a fake doctor. He pleaded for leniency, citing an accident that had prevented him from completing his education at the University of Abuja in 2019.

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SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, GISTREEL