A fake medical doctor, Mr. Ibukun Ojo,
has been arrested by the Special Fraud Unit Ikoyi, Lagos, for his role
in an attempt to defraud the Canadian Government of N89m health
insurance claims. His accomplice, Steve Fakolujo, is said to be on the
run.
In May 2012, Ojo had allegedly prepared a
fake medical report for Fakolujo, a Nigerian citizen who resides in
Canada. This was to enable Fakolujo to claim the sum of N89m in the form
of health insurance from the Canadian Government.
Ojo, an alleged medical dropout from the
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, was until his arrest the Medical
Director, Mount Zion Hospital, at 2, Mukandasi Street, Oja-Oke, Oshodi.
At the bungalow where Ojo works and lives, he doubles as the doctor, nurse, receptionist and cleaner.
The Commissioner of Police, SFU, Mr.
Tunde Ogunsakin, while parading the suspect, said, “We received a
petition from the Canadian High Commission on March 6, 2013 alleging a
case of fraud against Mount Zion Hospital.
“They claimed Ojo had forged the
following documents to enable Fakolujo to claim health insurance from
the Canadian Government; medical professional and consultation charges,
drugs and medications, ambulance fees, accommodation and feeding, other
miscellaneous expenses.”
A copy of the medical summary made
available and addressed to the Manager, Canassistance,
Quebec, Canada, revealed that Fakolujo was allegedly taken to the Mount
Zion hospital by ambulance on May 20, 2012.
Fakolujo was said to be on oxygen mask and life-support machine
and his pulse almost absent. The summary read in part, “He was
diagnosed with severe gastroenteritis and was already in hypovolemic
shock; thorough resuscitative and stabilisation machinery instituted,
vigorous intravenous rehydration employed.
“On May 24, 2012 the pulse became
stronger and visiting nephrologists confirmed renal failure. Fakolujo
was immediately booked for renal dialysis. After the procedure, blood
chemistry became normal, oral diet was re-introduced. He was eventually
diagnosed with plasmodiasis and treated accordingly. He was discharged
in good health on June 2, 2012.”
Attached to the summary was a bill which claimed Fakolujo had spent N89m as his medical expenses.
The breakdown showed that accommodation
and feeding were N19.9m; medical professional and consultation charges
N28m; drugs and medication N19.6m; ambulance fees N10.1m; and
miscellaneous expenses N5.7m.
Ojo, who was moody during the parade, reluctantly gave a few words in his defence
He said, “I have never been to Canada and
I know nothing about their health insurance. Fakolujo was on a brief
visit to Nigeria; he walked into my hospital last year and asked me to
assist him with these documents. I was paid N1,500 for my efforts.”
Ojo was however, silent on his qualifications as a medical doctor.
Ogunsakin said, “After we received the
petition, we began investigation. We visited Ojo at his hospital and
discovered him to be a fraud. He was the sole employee at the hospital
that consisted of four dirty beds for admitting patients, a small, dirty
room used as an operating theatre, some case files belonging to
patients, two stethoscopes and some other funny hospital equipment.
“Despite being an unqualified doctor, Ojo
had been in practice for the past five years. He would be charged to
court soonest at the conclusion of our investigation.”-PUNCH
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