The Lagos State Police Command has arrested one Abdulrahman Mohammed for allegedly impersonating a medical doctor and operating a clinic in the Idi-Araba area of Lagos.
Mohammed, a primary school-leaver, had allegedly paraded himself as a doctor for four years before luck ran out on him on Saturday.
Drugs, stethoscope, used syringes, blood pressure monitors, drip packs, among other medical paraphernalia, were said to have been recovered from a shop on Bamishile Street, Idi-Araba, where he attended to patients.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, while parading the suspect on Monday, said investigations revealed that the 39-year-old administered injections.
He said, “On April 14, around 12am, detectives from the Area D Command, Mushin, arrested a native of Ran village, in the Gamboru Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State, for operating as a medical doctor whereas his education stopped at primary school level, even though there is no certificate to authenticate that claim.
“Further investigations into the activities of Mohammed, who had been impersonating a medical doctor for the past four years, revealed that he had been administering intravenous injections, conducting medical tests on his patients and taking their urine and blood samples.
“The suspect confessed that he bought his drugs from Idumota Market. Exhibits recovered from him include blood pressure monitors – manual and electronic – syringes, drip packs both saline and sugar solutions, among others. The suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigation is over.”
According to Punch, the suspect, who denied impersonating a medical doctor, said he had been operating as a chemist since 2014.
He admitted that he did not learn the skills from anyone, adding that he had wanted to become a doctor.
He said, “I stopped school after primary six. I started selling drugs and injections in 2014, but I don’t give people injections or drips. Some people came to check their blood pressure. If a customer says he has a headache, I can sell Panadol to him. I buy my drugs at Idumota. Nurses come to buy from me.”