Authorities in Rivers State have shuttered five hospitals and a patent medicine shop following a crackdown on illegal health operations and alleged child trafficking. Seven individuals have been taken into custody as part of this enforcement action.
The affected locations include PLARIV Hospital in Omoku, Good Shepherd Hospital on Nkaru Street, and Blessed GoodNews Clinic in Port Harcourt. Additionally, ESTATE Clinic in Obio/Akpor, EL DONA Hospital in Elekahia, and a drug shop in Ndele were closed by the Anti-Quackery Committee and local security forces.
Dr. Vincent Wachukwu, chairman of the committee, explained that many of these establishments were managed by individuals lacking medical qualifications. Investigations revealed that some operators performed surgeries and even managed informal training programs for nurses. Specifically, EL DONA Hospital is accused of a scheme where live infants were stolen from mothers who were falsely told their children had died at birth, with the facility swapping the infants with deceased babies.
In another distressing case, a patent medicine shop in Ndele is under scrutiny after a 20-year-old student died following an injection administered by an untrained individual. Law enforcement continues to pursue the proprietor of that shop, while other suspects are already facing legal proceedings.
