The Rivers State Ministry of Health (RSMOH) has shut down 21 health facilities and arrested three persons over alleged quackery and other regulatory violations across four local government areas of the state.
The Chairman of the Anti-Quackery Committee and Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, disclosed this during the ministry’s third-quarter press briefing held in Port Harcourt on Monday.
Wachukwu said the affected facilities comprised eight hospitals, five maternity centres and eight diagnostic facilities sealed during the ministry’s third-quarter 2026 inspection and enforcement exercise.
He said the exercise covered Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre and Etche Local Government Areas and followed surveillance reports indicating that more than 150 health facilities were operating without registration or supervision by the ministry.
According to him, only about 20 per cent of registered health facilities were complying with the mandatory annual inspection and renewal of their Certificates of Standards.
He said 19 of the 21 facilities shut down were operating without registration and below the minimum standards prescribed by the Rivers State Ministry of Health.
“One registered facility was also found to be operating below the required standard, as no licensed health worker, including a doctor or nurse, was present during a random inspection.
“The affected facilities included Manda Clinic, Elelenwo; Vasty Clinic, Omoku; Danny Clinic; Daba Clinic; Kambel Hospital, Abara-Etche; Havilla Hospital, Igwuruta; Golden Era Hospital, Igwuruta; and Ola-Oluwa Medical Centre, Igwuruta,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary said it conducted a joint operation with the Rivers State Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) at Manda Clinic and Maternity in Elelenwo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
“The operation followed allegations of child trafficking linked to the facility, after a Liberian national reportedly disclosed the procurement of three children from the facility within a month”.
Wachukwu said investigations showed that the facility was operating without registration and without licensed medical practitioners.
He added that operators of the facility were arrested by NAPTIP, while the ministry sealed the premises.
“At Havilla Hospital in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area, the ministry said it discovered that the facility was unregistered and operated by a man identified as Isaac, who reportedly claimed to have undergone medical training in Ukraine in 2013”.
According to him, Isaac did not possess a licence from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and was operating without the required supervision.
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“He was arrested and is expected to be referred to the MDCN for further action.
“Similarly, Ola-Oluwa Medical Centre in Igwuruta was sealed after the ministry discovered that its operator, identified as Sunday Ogundele, allegedly had no medical training or licence,” he said.
Ogundele, who reportedly operated the facility from his family residence, was arrested and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for prosecution over alleged impersonation.
Kambel Hospital in Abara-Etche and Golden Era Hospital in Igwuruta were also shut down after inspectors found that no licensed doctor or nurse was operating at the facilities.
He also said the Ministry inspected Sarah Maternity at Belema Polo, Enugu Waterside, Borokiri, operated by a popular social media traditional birth attendant (TBA) influencer.
“The facility reportedly had more than 1,000 women on its patient register, with daily traffic of more than 200 women. “We used the inspection to establish practice guidelines, supervision requirements and appropriate advertising standards for the facility, “he said.
The operator was issued an official warning and designated as a contact point for other TBAs and maternity facilities on the need for proper supervision and training.
Wachukwu said 16 other facilities sealed during the exercise were found to be unregistered and operating below the minimum standards stipulated under the Rivers State Facility Registration Law No. 2 of 2019.
He reiterated the ministry’s commitment to eliminating quackery and unregistered medical facilities as part of its health security mandate.
He directed all registered health facilities to prominently display their Certificates of Standards at their reception areas.
Wachukwu urged individuals and corporate organisations to seek medical care only from facilities with verified Certificates of Standards.
He appealed to members of the public to report suspected cases of quackery and other unsafe medical practices to the ministry.
Wachukwu further announced the commencement of the 2026 enforcement drive against health facilities that fail to comply with annual inspection and renewal of their certificates of minimum standards.
He commended the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NAPTIP, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigerian Medical Association and other professional bodies for supporting efforts to uphold professional standards in healthcare delivery.
