RismadarVoice Reporters
October 14, 2026
The Rivers State Ministry of Health has sealed eight healthcare facilities and arrested four persons over allegations of medical quackery, impersonation and operating without the required registration.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, disclosed the development while providing an update on the government’s October inspection and enforcement exercise aimed at identifying illegal and substandard healthcare facilities across the state.
According to the ministry, enforcement officials discovered an allegedly illegal medical facility operating within a residential compound at No. 27 Victoria Street.
During the operation, two suspects, identified as Ataisi Jephtha and Mgboawaji Edwin, were reportedly found attempting to carry out a thyroidectomy on a patient.
A thyroidectomy is a surgical procedure involving the removal of part or all of the thyroid gland.
The ministry alleged that Jephtha had presented himself as a qualified surgeon, raising concerns about the professional credentials of those involved and the safety of the patient.
Both suspects were arrested, while the facility was immediately sealed pending further investigation and prosecution.
In a related development, the ministry shut down five hospitals and two medical laboratory centres for allegedly failing to meet minimum operational standards and operating without the necessary registration.
The closures brought the total number of affected healthcare facilities to eight.
Wachukwu warned that possessing a professional medical licence did not exempt practitioners from complying with facility registration requirements and established healthcare standards.
He explained that licensed medical professionals found operating in unregistered or substandard facilities could face sanctions under applicable regulations and the professional guidelines of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
The permanent secretary reaffirmed the ministry’s determination to strengthen healthcare regulation, eliminate illegal medical practices and protect residents from potentially unsafe treatment.
He maintained that the state government would continue inspections and enforcement activities to ensure healthcare providers operate within the law and meet established standards.
The ministry reported four arrests during the exercise, although the identities and specific allegations involving the other two persons were not disclosed in the information provided.
The allegations against those arrested remain subject to investigation and judicial determination.
