PORT HARCOURT — The Rivers State Government has sealed 21 health facilities operating without registration and below prescribed standards across four local government areas, following an enforcement operation that uncovered suspected baby-trafficking and other regulatory violations.
Three persons were arrested during the exercise for alleged offences and are to face prosecution, according to the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr Vincent Wachukwu.
Wachukwu disclosed this on Monday, October 5, 2026, during the ministry’s third-quarter press briefing in Port Harcourt.
He said the enforcement exercise, conducted in the third quarter of the year, followed surveillance reports indicating that more than 150 health facilities were operating without registration and regulatory supervision.
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.
According to him, 19 of the facilities were unregistered and operating 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 joint operation involving the ministry and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) at Manda Clinic and Maternity, Elelenwo, was particularly disturbing.
He said a Liberian national reportedly told officials that three children had allegedly been procured from the facility within one month.
Wachukwu said the facility was operating without registration and had no licensed medical practitioners. Its operators were subsequently arrested by NAPTIP, while the ministry sealed 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,” he said.
“This exercise is a continuation of our anti-quackery mandate to stamp out all unregistered facilities and facilities operated without the minimum standards.”
Among other facilities shut were Vasty Clinic, Omoku; Danny Clinic and Daba Clinic in Old Port Harcourt Township; Kambel Hospital, Abara-Etche; Havilla Hospital, Igwuruta; Golden Era Hospital, Igwuruta; and Ola-Oluwa Hospital, Igwuruta.
The permanent secretary said Havilla Hospital was allegedly operated by a man identified as Isaac, who claimed to have undergone medical training in Ukraine in 2013 but could not produce a licence from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
He said Isaac was arrested and would be referred to the MDCN for further action.
Wachukwu added that Ola-Oluwa Medical Centre, Igwuruta, was sealed after inspectors allegedly discovered that its operator, identified as Sunday Ogundele, had no medical training or professional licence.
Ogundele was arrested and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for prosecution over alleged impersonation, he said.
He further disclosed that Kambel Hospital, Abara-Etche, and Golden Era Hospital, Igwuruta, were shut after inspectors found that neither a licensed doctor nor nurse was operating the facilities.
On Sarah Maternity, Belema Polo, Enugu Waterside, Wachukwu said the facility was operated by a popular social media traditional birth attendant and had a patient load of more than 1,000 women, with daily traffic of over 200.
He said the ministry’s inspection was used to establish practice guidelines, supervision and advertising standards for the facility.
The operator, he added, was issued an official warning and designated as a contact point for other traditional birth attendants 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.
He warned that the ministry would sustain the enforcement campaign, urging 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,” he said.
The permanent secretary urged residents to report suspicious medical practices and unregistered health facilities to the Ministry of Health.
He said the 2026 enforcement drive would also target facilities that defaulted on annual inspection and renewal of certificates of minimum standards.
Wachukwu 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 exercise.
He assured residents that the ministry would continue to work with relevant agencies to enforce professional standards and strengthen health security across Rivers State.
