RismadarVoice Reporters
October 5, 2026
The Rivers State Government has sealed Manda Hospital in Elelenwo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, over allegations of involvement in child trafficking and operating without proper registration.
Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, disclosed the development during the ministry’s third-quarter press briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday.
Wachukwu said the action followed surveillance and enforcement operations targeting health facilities allegedly operating without registration or adequate regulatory supervision across four local government areas.
According to him, information obtained during the investigation linked Manda Hospital to suspected child trafficking activities. He said a Liberian national allegedly disclosed obtaining three children from the facility within one month.
The allegation has not been established by a court.
Wachukwu said further checks showed that the hospital was operating without registration and had no licensed medical practitioners available. He added that persons connected with the facility were arrested by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, while the premises were sealed.
The ministry also shut 20 other health facilities for alleged regulatory violations, bringing the total number affected by the enforcement exercise to 21.
According to Wachukwu, more than 150 health facilities were monitored, while only about 20 per cent of registered hospitals, diagnostic centres and maternity homes had complied with mandatory annual inspections and renewal of certificates of standards.
Of the 21 facilities shut, eight were hospitals, five were maternity homes, and eight were diagnostic centres.
The ministry said 19 were operating without registration and below required standards, while another registered facility was found operating below minimum standards without a licensed doctor or other qualified health worker present during the inspection.
Facilities affected included Manda Hospital in Elelenwo; Vasty Clinic in Omoku; Danny Clinic in Port Harcourt Township; Havilla Hospital in Igwuruta; Kambel Hospital at Abara Eche; Golden Era Hospital in Igwuruta; and Ola Oluwa Hospital in Igwuruta.
Wachukwu said an operator of Havilla Hospital who allegedly presented himself as a Ukraine-trained doctor was arrested after authorities found he did not possess the required Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria licence and was operating from an unregistered facility.
He said the matter would be referred to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria for further action.
The ministry also cautioned the operator of Serah Maternity at Belema Polo, Enugu Waterfront, and directed her to undergo further training and obtain appropriate licensing.
Wachukwu said traditional birth attendants have a role within communities but must receive proper training, operate within established limits and refer complicated cases to qualified medical facilities.
He reiterated the state government’s commitment to enforcing healthcare regulations and tackling unlicensed medical practice across Rivers State.
