After 11-yr practice, police arrests fake doctor

A quack doctor identified as Celestine Yolonfun who has been practising for the last 11-years has finnaly been nabbed.

He was paraded by the police in Lagos State on Monday after he was arrested in the Apapa area of the state following a raid.

The 32-year-old who according to reports dropped out of nursing school years ago has been practising as a doctor since 2005 and was arrested by men of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Yaba.

Reports say a compliant was lodged by the husband of a pregnant woman who was due for delivery, but allegedly died in Yolonfun’s hospital – Be Well Hospital – on Liverpool Road, Apapa which led to the arrest of the suspect who hails from Badagry.

When questioned, the suspect revealed that he paid the sum of N70,000 to obtain fake certificates of the Nigerian Medical Association and the University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

“I have been practising since 2005. I did not attend any school in Nigeria. I went to the Benin Republic. I sat for the General Certificate Education two years ago. I wanted to attend a university in Nigeria to study Medicine. But my wife fell sick and I could not.” He said.

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Continuing, he added; “I dropped out of a nursing school in the Benin Republic. I came back to Nigeria in 2004, and I started the hospital in 2005.

“Since I started the hospital, which takes care of general ailments, only two persons had died in the hospital. The first patient died in 2013.

“The second patient was that woman who died penultimate Saturday. The woman was pregnant. She also had high blood pressure. After giving her the initial treatment, I planned to refer her to a bigger hospital, but she died before I could move her. Her baby also died.”

Fatai Owoseni, the state Commissioner of Police, said investigations were carried out which led to the revelation that all the medical associations the suspect claimed to be registered with confirmed he is a fake doctor.

“The suspect was arrested and was found to have been in this illegal practice since 2005. He operated a makeshift hospital in the Liverpool area of Apapa.” The CP said.

Continuing, he added that; “We found a fake University of Ibadan MBBS certificate, a fake Dental and Medical Council of Nigeria certificate and a fake Corporate Affairs Commission certificate in his house.

“The professional bodies have been contacted by the police, and the suspect has been confirmed to be a fake medical practitioner.”

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