The Anambra State Government has arrested a 47-year-old woman from Abia State, Mrs. Onyinyechi Esther Charles, for allegedly operating an illegal maternity home and carrying out surgeries without any medical qualifications.
Mrs. Charles, who is married to a man from Nteje in Oyi Local Government Area, reportedly operated a traditional birth attendant (TBA) centre in Umueri, Anambra East LGA. Authorities accused her of performing caesarean sections, normal deliveries, and other surgical procedures despite not being a licensed medical practitioner.
According to officials, she admitted during interrogation that she had been carrying out the unauthorised procedures. She also reportedly revealed that she was formerly known as Eze Nwanyi before becoming a church minister and later presenting herself as a surgeon.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, confirmed the arrest, saying surgical instruments and other medical equipment believed to have been used in the operations were recovered from the facility. Hospital beds used for treating patients were also found during the inspection.
Authorities also discovered what appeared to be a shrine and an altar inside the building.
The facility has since been sealed and taken over by the state government pending the conclusion of legal proceedings. Mrs. Charles is expected to be arraigned before a competent court.
