Abawulor Omenka, posing as a fake doctor, was apprehended by the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners while attempting to secure a position as a medical officer at the Covenant University Medical Centre, located in Ota, within the Sango area of Ogun State.
Omenka, aged 35, had submitted an application for the role of Medical Officer and presented forged credentials during the process. Among the fabricated documents was a photocopy of a purported 2015 registration certificate from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
Furthermore, Omenka supplied a certificate from Benue State University, claiming he had earned a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree with a Second Class Upper Division.
His deception was uncovered during a job interview at the Covenant University Medical Centre, where three doctors carefully scrutinized his credentials. Suspicion arose when Omenka failed to provide a credible explanation for the similarity of his MDCN registration number to those issued decades ago.
Upon investigation, Omenka confessed to obtaining the fraudulent certificates from racketeers in Lagos State’s Oluwole area.
According to sources, the medical director of the Covenant University Health Centre, Dr. Ademola Adebanjo, noticed irregularities in Omenka’s application and called in Dr. Kayode Oyelade, the Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners in Ogun State. Dr. Oyelade, along with Dr. Akin Oyejoko, an executive of the association, participated in the interview that led to Omenka’s apprehension.
During the interview, it became apparent that Omenka lacked comprehensive knowledge of the medical profession, and inconsistencies were identified in his presented credentials. When contacted, some of the hospitals Omenka had claimed to work at confirmed that he had served as a health assistant, not a medical officer or doctor.
Oyelade explained that the suspicious certificates were what ultimately exposed Omenka’s ruse. His allegedly earned certificate from Benue State University indicated a “Second Upper Division in Medicine and Surgery,” which raised doubts due to the absence of grading in medical certificates. Moreover, his MDCN registration number (11,641) clashed with the timeline he claimed to have graduated, suggesting he graduated before individuals with lower registration numbers.
Omenka was handed over to the police at the Onipanu Police Station in Ota. The Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners emphasized its commitment to ensuring Omenka faces legal consequences as a deterrent to others. Dr. Azim Kunle Ashimi, Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association’s Ogun State Chapter, advised thorough background checks when employing doctors and pledged collaboration to eradicate quackery in the state’s medical field.