Alleged IVF Fraud: FG Files Fresh 12-Count Charge Against Abuja Medical Doctor

 

The Federal Government, through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has filed a fresh 12 count criminal charge against an Abuja based fertility doctor, Pastor John Abebe.

Abebe is accused of unlawful disclosure of a patient’s medical records, sale of human embryos and fraud, among others.

In the charge filed on July 21, 2026 at the registry of the High Count of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abebe, who is also a Pastor with Living Faith Church, (AKA Winners Chapel) Durumi, Abuja, was charged alongside his hospital, Joje Abebe

Fertility Centre Limited and one Balikis Olanike Bakare, who was not part of the initial three count charge filed on January 12, 2026 by the Inspector General of Police.

Bakare and the hospital were charged for criminal conspiracy, conspiracy to commit fraud and giving false information to mislead police investigators, amongst others.

Pastor Abebe and Joje Abebe Hospital Limited were on March 11, 2026, arraigned before Justice Akeem A. Fashola of a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court sitting in Jabi, Abuja, on a three-count charge and subsequently granted bail.

On June 18, 2026, when the matter came up for hearing, the Attorney General of the Federation took over the case from the Inspector General  Police following alleged failure of the former Commander of the Special Tactical Squad to arraign Abebe on February 19, 2026.

In the new charge, it was alleged that Abebe sold nine out of the 12 human embryos belonging to Mr & Mrs Adamu Hassan to other patients, comprising of two males and seven females.

He is also accused of defrauding the couple of the sum of N19 million in addition to administration of fake and substandard drugs that led to the cessation of Mrs Manga’s menstrual circle since January 2025 and the continued deterioration of her health, amongst others.

Prosecutors said Abebe and Bakare claimed to have transfered two male embryos  to a purported surrogate mother, one Miss Joy Ene Pius, whereas evidence gathered by investigators indicated the contrary.

Abebe and his co-accused are expected to be arraigned on October 28, 2026

Parts of the charge read:

Count 1

That you John Onuwabhagbe Abebe ‘M’ 54 years, Joje Abebe Fertility Centre Limited, being a Chief Consultant Obstetrician & Gynecologist/Medical Doctor of Joje Abebe Hospital Limited, head office located at No. 0140, Bamanga Tukur Street, Zone E, Apo Legislative Quarters, Gudu District, FCT, Abuja, within the Abuja Judicial Division, while you were in custody of Mr. & Mrs Mary Manga’s medical records concerning their health welfare and their production status sometime on the  6th day of August 2025, at FCT, Abuja, you attached their medical history to a document titled, Re: Demand/Pre-action Notice from the law firm of Fabunmi and Co, which was received and read by one Albert Gaji, a security guard at the law firm of Y. J. Imam Esq, which were later exposed to some other members of the public to read as a result of the exposure made her to be traumatized till date,  thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 29 of the National Health Act, 2014.

Count 2

That you John Onuwabhagbe Abebe ‘M’ 54 years, Joje Abebe Fertility Centre Limited, being a Chief Consultant Obstetrician & Gynecologist/Medical Doctor of Joje Abebe Hospital Limited, on or about 17th September, 2025, you were invited by the officers and men of the FID STS Police Force Headquarters FCT, Abuja, for breaching the confidential agreement you made with Mr. Adamu Hassan, the husband of Mary Manga, over his health status concerning his reproduction status not to expose to a third party. Via-a-vis sometime on the 6th day of August, 2025, you attached their medical history that you conveyed the poor fertility status of her husband to a document titled, Re: Demand/Pre-action Notice from the law firm of Fabunmi and Co, which was received and read by one Albert Gaji, a security guard at the law firm of Y. J. Imam Esq, which were later exposed to some other members of the public to read. The exposure made him to be traumatized till date. And that you thereby committed an offense contrary and punishable under Section 29 of the National Health Act, 2014.

Count 3

That you John Onuwabhagbe Abebe ‘M’ 54 years, Joje Abebe Fertility Centre Limited, being a Chief Consultant Obstetrician & Gynecologist/Medical Doctor of Joje Abebe Hospital Limited, located at No. 0140, Bamanga Tukur Street, Zone E, Apo Legislative Quarters, Gudu District, FCT, Abuja, within the Abuja Judicial Division between the month of January to May 2025, at FCT Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud by false pretense deceived, and duped Mrs Mary Manga and her husband to the tune of N19 million (N19,000,000), under the pretense that you are specialized in Invitro Fertilization (IVF), having reason to believe you are not skilled in that field and converted the whole. And that you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act, 2006.

Count 4

That you John Onuwabhagbe Abebe ‘M’ 54 years, Joje Abebe Fertility Centre Limited, being a Chief Consultant Obstetrician & Gynecologist/Medical Doctor of Joje Abebe Hospital Limited, located at No. 0140, Bamanga Tukur Street, Zone E, Apo Legislative Quarters, Gudu District, FCT, Abuja, within the Abuja Judicial Division, between the month of January to May 2025, at FCT Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while you were in the custody of Twelve (12)  human embryos, Five (5) Male, Seven (7) Female belonging to  Mr. Adamu Hassan and his wife Mrs Mary Manga, on or about a date between January 2025 and November, 2025, did unlawfully sell or otherwise deal for valuable consideration in nine (9) out of the 12 human embryos, comprising two (2) male embryos and seven (7) female embryos, which embryos were in your custody for medical purposes, thereby committing an offence.

And you thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 48(1) of the National Health Act, 2014, and punishable under Section 48(2) of the same Act.

Count 5

That you John Onuwabhagbe Abebe ‘M’ 54 years,  Joje Abebe Fertility Centre Limited, being a Chief Consultant Obstetrician & Gynecologist/Medical Doctor of Joje Abebe Hospital Limited, located at No. 0140, Bamanga Tukur Street, Zone E, Apo Legislative Quarters, Gudu District, FCT, Abuja, within the Abuja Judicial Division, being entrusted with the custody and control of nine (9) embryos (two male and seven female embryos) belonging to Mr. Adamu Hassan and Mrs Mary Manga, in your capacity as a medical practitioner, did dishonestly convert same to your own use by selling them without the consent of the owners. And you thereby committed an offense which is contrary to and punishable under sections 311 and 312 of the Penal Code Act, and punishable under Section 312 of the same Act.

 

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