The Niger State Private Health Facilities Agency (NiSPHFA) has shut down 15 private health centres and arrested a man suspected of impersonating a medical doctor during a regulatory enforcement operation in Suleja Local Government Area.
The clampdown, carried out over the weekend by the agency’s task force, is part of ongoing efforts to sanitize the private health sector and protect residents from unsafe and unregulated medical practices.
Speaking after the inspection exercise, the Executive Chairman of NiSPHFA, Abdullahi Suleiman, said the operation was prompted by intelligence reports and routine monitoring of private health facilities across the state.
He explained that the affected facilities were found to be operating in violation of established health regulations, posing serious risks to public safety and healthcare delivery standards.
According to him, the agency also apprehended a man allegedly posing as a qualified medical doctor while treating patients in one of the facilities.
Suleiman stressed that the state government remains committed to ensuring that only licensed professionals and properly registered health centres are allowed to operate, warning that quackery in the medical field would not be tolerated.
He added that the enforcement exercise is part of a broader strategy to rid the healthcare system of unqualified practitioners and substandard facilities that endanger lives.
Residents have been urged to verify the credentials of healthcare providers and patronise only approved and certified medical centres.
The NiSPHFA boss assured that similar operations would continue across the state to ensure compliance and improve the quality of healthcare services.
The development has sparked renewed calls for stricter oversight of private health facilities, particularly in semi-urban and rural communities where cases of medical quackery are often reported.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing, and those found culpable will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
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