Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested a man posing as an ophthalmologist, identified as Gabriel Gideon, in Nsit-Ubium Local Government Area, for allegedly administering harmful substances to hundreds of residents.
In a statement on Friday, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Timfon John, said Gideon was taken into custody on Thursday, August 14, 2025, following a tip-off from concerned residents of Itu LGA, where he had been treating people with a mixture of olive oil, juice, and water.
The statement read, *“A fake medical doctor who parades himself as an ophthalmologist has been arrested for allegedly administering a mixture of unapproved substances to hundreds of people in Ikot Akpan Itam, Ikot Abasi Itam, and Nung Ikot Itam in Itu LGA.
“On Thursday, August 14, 2025, at approximately 12:05 pm, operatives of the command received a tip from a concerned citizen regarding a man who was reportedly treating eye defects with unapproved substances.
“The suspect, identified as Gabriel Gideon from Nsit Ubium, was apprehended.”*
According to the police, Gideon admitted that he was not a licensed eye doctor and confessed to gathering over 300 people in each of the three villages — Ikot Akpan Itam, Ikot Abasi Itam, and Nung Ikot Itam — where he allegedly charged N500 per person for the supposed treatment.
A medical team from the state Ministry of Health later examined the substances and confirmed that they were not approved for medical use.
The police noted that investigations into the case are still ongoing.
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