I treat only malaria, typhoid – Fake doctor

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested
a 40-year-old man, Adeyemi Akintolure, for
parading himself as a medical practitioner
without a licence.
Akintolure, who also allegedly defrauded one
Joy Umosekhaimhe of N500,000, was said to
be in possession of a forged identity card of
the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the state
command, Ngozi Braide, said the suspect was
arrested by the Area H Command
Headquarters, Ogudu, following a petition by
Umosekhaimhe.
She said upon his arrest, the suspect
presented a certificate of annual practicing
licence purportedly issued to him by the
Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
Braide said, “Upon interrogation, Akintolure
identified himself as a doctor at LUTH and
tendered his LUTH identity card with no
13541. He claimed to be a surgeon and
gynaecologist at LUTH.
“A letter was written to the hospital to
authenticate his claims and LUTH replied that
he was not an employee. The suspect
subsequently confessed that he was not a
doctor but had been practising for four years,
using his vehicle as a mobile clinic.
“Drugs, injections, syringes, stethoscope, a
blood pressure monitor and a lab coat were
recovered from his home when it was
searched.”
Akintolure, in his defence, said he took to
medical practice because he needed money to
fend for his family.
He claimed to have only treated malaria and
typhoid and had charged N4,000 for his
services. He also denied defrauding
Umosekhaimhe of N500,000.
Akintolure said, “I borrowed only N260,000
from Umosekhaimhe, not N500,000. The
money was used to care for my brother, who
is suffering from a kidney disease. I am
actually a graduate; I studied Marketing on a
part time basis at Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-Ife and graduated in 1997.
“I got my medical experience at a hospital in
Akure, where I was employed as the personal
assistant to a doctor but also worked as an
auxiliary nurse. I know I’m not meant to be
practising medicine but I have never killed
anyone before. I only took to medicine
because of unemployment.
“I also don’t treat pregnant women. I just
treat typhoid and malaria at the cost of
N4,000. Sometimes I administer injections.
“The vehicle I use as my mobile clinic belongs
to my wife but she has no idea that I was a
fake doctor.” The police said the suspect
would soon be charged to court.