Rivers govt seals illegal health facilities over baby trafficking, racketeering

The Rivers State Government has sealed 21 illegal health facilities across four local government areas following an enforcement operation that uncovered suspected baby-trafficking and racketeering, arresting three persons for prosecution.

The crackdown, conducted by the Rivers State Ministry of Health in the third quarter of 2026, included a joint operation with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) at Manda Clinic and Maternity, Elelenwo, where officials said a Liberian national reportedly disclosed the procurement of three children from the facility within one month.

The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, disclosed this during the Ministry’s third-quarter press briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday, 5 October 2026.

Wachukwu said the enforcement followed surveillance reports indicating that more than 150 health facilities were operating without registration and regulatory supervision. He added that the 21 facilities sealed comprised eight hospitals, five maternity homes and eight diagnostic centres across Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre and Etche Local Government Areas.

He noted that 19 of the facilities were found to be operating without registration and below the minimum standards prescribed by the Ministry of Health, while another registered facility was found operating without a licensed doctor or nurse.

Wachukwu said the Manda Clinic operation was particularly concerning because of the suspected child-trafficking activity allegedly linked to the facility.

“The Rivers State Ministry of Health is fully committed to its regulatory function and is committed to eradicating quackery from Rivers State as part of our mandate on health security.

“This exercise is a continuation of our anti-quackery mandate to stamp out all unregistered facilities and facilities operated without the minimum standards,” he said.

According to him, Manda Clinic and Maternity, Elelenwo, Obio/Akpor LGA, was operating without registration and had no licensed medical practitioners, while its operators were arrested by NAPTIP after the joint operation and the facility subsequently sealed by the Ministry.

Other facilities shut include Vasty Clinic, Omoku; Danny Clinic and Daba Clinic in old Port Harcourt Town; Kambel Hospital, Abara-Etche; Havilla Hospital, Igwuruta; Golden Era Hospital, Igwuruta; and Ola-Oluwa Hospital, Igwuruta.

Wachukwu said Havilla Hospital was an unregistered facility operated by a man identified as Mr Isaac, who claimed to have undergone medical training in Ukraine in 2013 but had no licence from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

He said Mr Isaac had been arrested and would be referred to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria for further action, adding that Ola-Oluwa Medical Centre, Igwuruta, was sealed after the Ministry discovered that its operator, identified as Sunday Ogundele, allegedly had no medical training or professional licence.

Wachukwu said Ogundele was arrested and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for prosecution for alleged impersonation.

He added that Kambel Hospital, Abara-Etche, and Golden Era Hospital, Igwuruta, were shut down after inspectors found that no licensed doctor or nurse was operating the facilities.

On Sarah Maternity, Belema Polo, Enugu Waterside, the Permanent Secretary said the facility, operated by a popular social media traditional birth attendant, had a patient load of more than 1,000 women and daily traffic of over 200 women.

He said the Ministry used the inspection to establish practice guidelines, supervision and advertisement standards, while the operator was issued an official warning and designated as a contact point for other TBAs and maternity operators on the need for supervision and training.

Wachukwu said the remaining 16 facilities sealed during the exercise were found to be unregistered and operating below the minimum standards stipulated under the Rivers State Facility Registration Act No. 2 of 2019.

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He warned that the Ministry would sustain the enforcement campaign and urged residents to patronise only health facilities that meet the state’s regulatory requirements.

“We mandate all registered facilities to display their Certificate of Standards at the reception of their facilities.

“We also mandate individuals and corporate organisations to only access care in facilities with verified Certificates of Standards, as this serves as the quality assurance check for health security,” Wachukwu said.

He appealed to members of the public to report suspicious medical practices and unregistered health facilities to the Ministry of Health, adding that the 2026 enforcement drive would target facilities that default on annual inspection and renewal of certificates of minimum standards.

The Permanent Secretary commended the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NAPTIP, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigerian Medical Association and other professional bodies for supporting the enforcement exercise, assuring that the Ministry would continue to work with relevant agencies to uphold professional standards across Rivers State.