The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has apprehended a man, Sunday Okon Akpan, who posed as a medical doctor after a 35-year-old woman, Blessing Sunday Etim, reportedly died following an abortion procedure at his clinic in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area.
Police investigations revealed that Akpan, who runs the so-called Full Life Medical Centre in Ikot Obio Odong, had no licence to practise medicine or nursing. Instead, he was found to be only a community health practitioner offering illegal services under false pretences.
DSP Timfon John, the command’s spokesperson, confirmed the arrest. “On Tuesday, 19 August, at about 0930 hours, a man was arrested on suspicion of conducting an illegal abortion that resulted in the death of a 35-year-old woman,” she said.
The police spokesperson explained that the suspect was taken into custody after the victim’s mother reported her sudden death. A co-tenant of the deceased also alleged that Akpan tried to secretly move the body into the woman’s apartment to conceal the incident. “When confronted, he dropped the body and fled the scene,” DSP John added.
Officers who later inspected the premises observed signs of a botched procedure, including a premature fetus emerging from the victim’s body. This further confirmed suspicions of an unsafe abortion.
According to police findings, Akpan had been using the clinic to perform unregulated medical procedures, including illegal abortions, before it was abandoned following the incident. “The suspect, a resident of Afaha Offiong in Nsit Ibom LGA, is not a licensed medical doctor or nurse but a community health practitioner. He used the facility to perform illegal medical procedures, including abortions,” John disclosed.
The body of the deceased has been deposited in a morgue for autopsy as detectives continue their inquiries. “The Commissioner of Police has directed that the matter be thoroughly investigated to ensure justice for the victim. Further information will be made available in due course,” the statement concluded.
