Fake Doctor and impersonator arrested in Abuja

A 44-year-old alleged fake medical doctor, Martins Ogwu Okpe, an employee of the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, was on Tuesday arraigned before a Federal High Court, Abuja, on a one-count charge of stealing a Bachelor of Medicine degree certificate of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to secure employment as a Federal Government worker.
The accused person, who was put on trial by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), was also alleged to have stolen another Bachelor of Surgery degree of the same university and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates belonging to his friend, Dr Daniel Davidson George.
Okpe was one time chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Abuja and led the Federal Government delegation of medical experts to Liberia during the last Ebola epidemic in the country.

In the criminal charge preferred against him, the accused person was alleged to have impersonated the said Dr. George by adopting his full names as his own and using his three certificates to secure employment with the Federal Government.
The accused was employed as a Senior Medical Officer in 2006 on Grade Level 12 with the Federal Ministry of Health where he was alleged to have been drawing monthly salary and allowances before the long arm of the law caught up with him.
The charge indicated that the alleged fake doctor was apprehended during the verification exercise of professional skills of resident doctors conducted by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria where he allegedly presented the certificates in June to get clearance.
The offence was said to be contrary to Section 383 and punishable under Section 390 of the Criminal Code law.
However, when the charge was read to the accused, he pleaded not guilt and his counsel, Mr. Otemu Ogenvo, applied for his bail on the condition that the alleged offence was bailable.
Mr. Malik Taiwo, the prosecution counsel, did not oppose the bail application and the court consequently admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N1 million and two sureties in likes sum.
According to the court, the sureties must be a civil servant in a federal ministry or parastatal agency and must not be less than grade level 12.


source:  Tribune