FG files fresh charge against Abuja doctor over IVF fraud

The Federal Government has initiated fresh criminal proceedings against Dr. John Abebe, an Abuja-based fertility doctor, along with his Joje Abebe Fertility Centre Limited and Balkis Olanike Bakare. The charges, filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, include allegations of fraud, unlawful disclosure of confidential medical records, and the purported sale of a couple's embryos.

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In the charge, the Federal Government alleged that Abebe unlawfully disclosed the confidential medical records of Mr and Mrs Mary Manga without their consent. The government said the alleged disclosure contravened Section 29 of the National Health Act, 2014, which provides for the confidentiality of patients’ medical information.

According to the charge, Dr. Abebe is accused of unlawfully disclosing the confidential medical records of Mr. and Mrs. Mary Manga without their consent, a violation of Section 29 of the National Health Act, 2014. This action allegedly caused emotional trauma to Mrs. Manga. The prosecution also claims Abebe breached a confidentiality agreement with Mr. Adamu Hassan by attaching his medical history, including fertility status, to a legal notice sent via a third-party law firm.

Furthermore, the Federal Government alleges that between January and May 2025, Dr. Abebe, a Chief Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, obtained N19 million from the couple under the guise of providing specialist In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) services. The prosecution contends that he converted this sum for personal use, contrary to the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act. This case follows an earlier prosecution by the Inspector-General of Police over similar allegations, where Abebe and his hospital pleaded not guilty and were granted bail.

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The fresh charge further alleged that between January and May 2025, Abebe, described as a Chief Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, obtained N19m from the couple under the pretext of providing specialist In Vitro Fertilisation services. The Federal Government alleged that the doctor subsequently converted the money to his personal use, contrary to Section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.

In a particularly serious allegation, the fresh charge includes claims that Dr. Abebe unlawfully dealt with some of the couple's embryos. The prosecution asserts that nine embryos, two male and seven female, created during the IVF process were allegedly sold to other patients. The government argues that these actions constitute a breach of the couple's reproductive rights and medical confidentiality. The charges also state that Abebe and the fertility centre unlawfully disclosed the couple's confidential medical records without consent.

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According to the charge, the embryos allegedly involved comprised nine embryos, two male and seven female, which the prosecution claimed were sold to other patients.