By Peter.
The Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services has indefinitely shut down St. John’s Hospital in Otukpo following allegations of gross medical malpractice, including the unauthorised removal of both breasts of a female patient on 25 November 2025 without following established clinical guidelines.
Commissioner for Health, Dr Paul Ogwuche, confirmed the closure on Saturday, 29 November 2025, stating:
“The facility was operating in a substandard and unsafe environment and flagrantly violating approved treatment protocols. One of the malpractices uncovered was the removal of both breasts of a patient without adherence to established clinical guidelines.”
An enforcement team led by:
- Dr Agbadu Joshua (Director of Medical Services)
- Dr Alex Iorbo (Chairman, NMA Anti-Quackery Committee, Benue)
- Desk Officers from Otukpo and Gboko LGAs
stormed the hospital on Friday and immediately sealed it. The Medical Superintendent has been queried and summoned to the ministry on Monday for interrogation.
Dr Ogwuche described the action as part of Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia’s aggressive crackdown on quackery and substandard healthcare. He warned:
“Any hospital or clinic caught endangering the lives of Benue people will be sealed without notice. We will not compromise on patient safety.”
This is the second major closure in weeks — St. Peter and Paul Community Health Centre in Lessel, Ushongo LGA, was also sealed recently for similar violations.
The state government has urged residents to report suspicious medical practices and assured that the ongoing sanitation exercise will continue across all 23 LGAs.
#BenueHealthCrackdown #StJohnsHospitalSealed #MedicalMalpractice #PatientSafety #EndQuackery
