The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has taken over the prosecution of an Abuja-based fertility doctor, John Abebe, who is facing charges of fraud and alleged unlawful disclosure of a patient’s confidential medical records.
Also charged as the second and third defendants are Joje Abebe Facility Centre Limited and Balikis Bakare.
The three defendants are facing a three-count charge marked CR/005/2026.
The Federal Government alleged that the defendants unlawfully disclosed the confidential medical records of a patient, Mrs Mary Manga, without her consent, in violation of her right to medical confidentiality under the National Health Act, 2014.
The prosecution further alleged that Abebe breached a confidentiality agreement concerning the reproductive health status of Manga’s husband by attaching confidential medical records to a pre-action demand notice issued through his lawyers.
According to the prosecution, the documents subsequently became accessible to third parties, causing emotional trauma to the complainants.
In the third count, the government alleged that the doctor fraudulently obtained N19 million from the complainants between January and May 2025 by falsely presenting himself as an in-vitro fertilisation specialist.
The prosecution further alleged that the first defendant converted the money and embryos extracted from the patients to his personal use, contrary to the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
The Nigeria Police Force initially filed the charge before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja before the Attorney-General of the Federation applied to take over the prosecution.
The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
Trial Justice A. A. Fashola, in a ruling delivered on March 11, granted the defendants bail pending the determination of the case.
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