Rivers shuts 21 health facilities after finding 150+ operating without registration, arrests 3 suspected quacks — see full list

• Rivers shut down 21 health facilities across five LGAs over alleged quackery and regulatory violations.

• 19 of the facilities were unregistered, according to the state government.

• Three people were arrested, while the government publicly named eight of the affected facilities.

The Rivers State Government has shut down 21 health facilities after finding that most were operating without registration or failing to meet the minimum standards set by the state Ministry of Health.

The facilities include hospitals, maternity homes and diagnostic centres across Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre, Etche and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government areas.

Dr Vincent Wachukwu, Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Health and Chairman of the State Anti-Quackery Committee, disclosed this during the ministry's third-quarter enforcement briefing in Port Harcourt on October 5, 2026.

The ministry said the 21 facilities comprised eight hospitals, five maternity facilities and eight diagnostic centres.

However, it has publicly named only some of the facilities.

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The facilities identified in the ministry's statement and reports of Wachukwu's briefing are:

1. Manda Clinic and Maternity — Elelenwo, Obio/Akpor

2. Vasty Clinic — Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni

3. Danny Clinic — Old Port Harcourt Township

4. Daba Clinic — Old Port Harcourt Township

5. Kambel Hospital — Abara-Etche, Etche

6. Havilla Hospital — Igwuruta

7. Golden Era Hospital — Igwuruta

8. Ola-Oluwa Hospital/Medical Centre — Igwuruta

These are eight of the 21 facilities, not a complete list, as the state government's announcement didn’t publish the names of the remaining facilities.

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The ministry said 19 of the 21 facilities were operating without registration and below its minimum standards.

It also found a registered facility that was operating below the required standard, with no licensed doctor, nurse or other health professional present during inspection.

The enforcement followed surveillance that identified more than 150 health facilities operating without registration or proper supervision during the third quarter of 2026.

Wachukwu also said only about 20% of registered health facilities were complying with the mandatory annual inspection and renewal of their Certificates of Standards.

Three people were arrested during the enforcement exercise, although the allegations against them were different.

At Havilla Hospital in Igwuruta, a man identified as Isaac allegedly claimed to have undergone medical training in Ukraine in 2013 but did not have a licence from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

The ministry said he was arrested and would be referred to the MDCN for further action.

At Ola-Oluwa Medical Centre in Igwuruta, the ministry said its operator, Sunday Ogundele, allegedly had no medical training or professional licence but was running the facility from his family residence.

He was arrested and handed over to the police for alleged impersonation.

The third case involved Manda Clinic and Maternity in Elelenwo, where the Ministry of Health conducted a joint operation with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

According to Wachukwu, the operation followed allegations of child-trafficking racketeering linked to the facility. A Liberian national reportedly disclosed that three children had been procured from the facility within one month.

The ministry said the facility was also operating without registration or licensed medical practitioners. Its operators were arrested by NAPTIP, and the facility was sealed.

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Inspectors also found that Kambel Hospital in Abara-Etche and Golden Era Hospital in Igwuruta had no licensed doctor or nurse operating at the facilities.

Both were subsequently sealed.

The ministry has not publicly provided individual reasons for the closure of every one of the 21 facilities.

The state government has not released a complete public list of the 21 facilities.

The ministry's official statement names eight facilities, while reports quoting Wachukwu refer to 16 other facilities that were sealed for being unregistered and failing to meet minimum standards. 

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The Ministry of Health requires registered health facilities to obtain a Certificate of Standards and display it at their reception.

Wachukwu urged residents and organisations to seek care only from facilities with verified certificates and to report suspected quackery or unregistered medical practices to the ministry.

The enforcement is being carried out under the state's regulatory framework, including the Rivers State Facility Registration Law No. 2 of 2019.

The ministry said the anti-quackery campaign will continue, including enforcement against facilities that fail to comply with annual inspection and renewal requirements