A 39-year-old man arrested for allegedly posing as a medical doctor in Cross River State has admitted treating at least 15 patients over the years despite dropping out of medical school.
The suspect, Udeme Emmanuel Ekpeme, was arrested by operatives of the Uwanse Police Division in Calabar South Local Government Area following a complaint alleging impersonation, obtaining money by false pretence and operating an illegal mobile clinic.
According to the police, Ekpeme allegedly collected N500,000 from a woman, Mrs Edemawan Samuel, after promising to secure employment for her children at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).
During interrogation, the suspect said he left medical school before completing his studies but purchased medical equipment with the intention of making enough money to return and finish his education.
“If I can raise money to return to medical school, I will. So I bought medical equipment for testing so that whenever patients come, I can use them to diagnose them. Often, when one patient sees that my treatment is effective, the person recommends another,” he said.
Ekpeme claimed that between 2014 and 2026, he treated at least 15 patients despite not being a licensed medical practitioner.
He also admitted receiving the N500,000 from the complainant over the promised UCTH jobs but confessed that he diverted the money to settle a debt of N700,000.
“I was already owing somebody N700,000 and they had been disturbing me to pay. They even seized my Android phone, so I used the money to offset the debt,” he confessed.
The complainant said she became suspicious after the suspect requested an additional N40,000, claiming it was needed to facilitate banking transactions related to the employment offer.
“When he demanded the N40,000, I had a strong feeling he just wanted to collect the money and chop. I contacted my brother, who said he was a scammer, and we reported the matter to the police,” she said.
She further alleged that the suspect administered several injections to her and her two children while presenting himself as a qualified medical doctor.
Confirming the arrest, the Cross River State Police Command said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect falsely presented himself as a medical doctor and unlawfully obtained N500,000 from the complainant under the guise of securing employment for her children at UCTH.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, said exhibits connected to the alleged offences had been recovered and that the suspect remained in police custody.
Akata also advised members of the public to avoid seeking treatment from unlicensed medical practitioners.
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