The Federal Government has filed criminal charges against an Abuja-based medical practitioner, Dr John Abebe, who is also a pastor at Living Faith Church, Durumi, over allegations of fraud, criminal conspiracy, unlawful disclosure of confidential medical records, and the alleged sale of a couple’s embryos.
The charges were instituted at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in a suit marked CV/005/26. The case was filed by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, against Dr Abebe and his facility, Joje Abebe Hospital & Fertility Centre Limited.
According to the three-count charge, the doctor is accused of unlawfully releasing the confidential medical records of Mrs Mary Manga without her consent, allegedly in violation of Section 29 of the National Health Act, 2014.
Prosecutors further allege that between January and May 2025, Dr Abebe, described as a chief consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, fraudulently obtained N19 million from the couple under the pretext of being a specialist in In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). The charge claims he converted the funds to personal use, an offence punishable under Section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
In what has been described as the most disturbing aspect of the case, the government also alleges that the doctor sold the couple’s fully developed embryos to other patients. If proven, the allegation could rank among the most controversial fertility-related cases in Nigeria in recent years.
One of the counts accuses the defendants of abusing their position by making the couple’s medical records public, thereby exposing them to trauma and emotional distress.
The matter is currently before Honourable Justice A. A. Fashola of the FCT High Court and is expected to raise significant legal and ethical questions regarding medical confidentiality, fertility practices, and the enforcement of health and anti-fraud laws in Nigeria.
