Police arrest fake surgeon in Cross River

The Cross River State Police Command has apprehended a theatre assistant suspected of conducting an unauthorized hernia surgery on a 60-year-old patient at a private clinic in Ekori, Yakurr Local Government Area. The patient, identified as Ukpan, experienced complications post-surgery on September 8, 2026, and was discharged the same day.

According to the command's spokesperson, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, Ukpan was brought to Ugep General Hospital on September 11 by Bassey Otu Bassey, a 33-year-old man, due to reported complications. Tensions arose at the hospital around 9 pm when Ukpan's family attempted to confront Bassey, questioning his professional status and involvement in the procedure.

Police intervened, placing Bassey under protective custody at the Ugep Police Division to avert potential escalation. Bassey claimed he was a theatre assistant who executed the surgery without his principal's presence. The police are confirming his professional credentials and investigating the circumstances surrounding the surgery and the patient's health issues.

No conclusions have been drawn regarding criminal liability or the cause of the patient's condition pending further investigations and expert evaluations. The police emphasized that mob justice is unacceptable and promised that those found responsible based on credible evidence would face the law.