An alleged fake medical doctor, Martins Okpe, an employee of the Federal Ministry of Health, has been arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
Mr Okpe was arraigned on a five-count charge for impersonation and stealing of a Bachelor of Medicine Degree of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
In the criminal charge where he pleaded not guilty, Okpe was also alleged to have stolen a Bachelor of Surgery Degree and National Youth Service Corps certificates belonging to one Dr Daniel George.
Having taken his plea, the accused person moved a bail application through his counsel, urging the Court to grant him bail in liberal terms, a position that was not opposed by the prosecution.
The Court consequently admitted the accused person to bail in the sum of One Million Naira, two sureties of which one must not be lower than level 12 in any Federal Government agency.
The accused was to be remanded in Kuje Prison custody, pending when he would perfect his bail conditions.
Martins, 44, was employed as a Senior Medical Officer in 2006 on grade level 12 with the Federal Ministry of Health, where he was alleged to have been drawing monthly salary and allowances.
He was apprehended during the verification exercise of professional skills of Residence Doctors conducted by the Medical And Dental Council of Nigeria, where he presented the certificate in June to secure clearance.
The offense is contrary to Section 383 of the Criminal Code which stipulates that “a person who fraudulently takes anything capable of being stolen, or fraudulently converts to his own use or to the use of any other person anything capable of being stolen, is said to steal that thing”.
The criminal Code in Section 390 stipulates the punishment for the offence which ranges from a minimum of two years imprison or a life sentence depending on the weight of the offence.
