An Abuja-based medical practitioner, Dr. John Onuwabhagbe Abebe, has been arraigned before a High Court in the Federal Capital Territory over allegations of fraud, criminal conspiracy and the unlawful sale of a couple’s embryos.
The doctor, who is also said to be a pastor at Living Faith Church Worldwide in Durumi, Abuja, appeared before Justice A. A. Fashola of the FCT High Court in Jabi. He was charged alongside his medical facility, Joje Abebe Fertility Centre Limited, in a case filed by the Inspector General of Police.
According to the prosecution, the charges include fraud, criminal conspiracy and the unlawful disclosure of confidential medical records belonging to a couple who had sought fertility treatment at the facility.
One of the counts alleges that the doctor released the couple’s confidential medical records to members of the public without their consent, an action said to have caused emotional distress to the victims.
Another allegation states that he breached a confidential agreement with the husband by attaching sensitive information about his fertility status to a legal document that later became accessible to third parties.
The prosecution also accused the doctor of obtaining N19 million from the couple under the pretext of providing specialised in vitro fertilisation treatment despite allegedly lacking the required expertise. He was further accused of misappropriating both the money and some of the embryos.
Dr. Abebe pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read in court. Following his plea, the court granted him bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety in like sum. The judge ordered that the surety must be a professional employed by a reputable and verifiable organisation.
The case was subsequently adjourned until April 2, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
