Somesuspected fake health workers have been arrested by the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) as they conducted a medical outreach in Panshekara, Kumbotso Local Council Area of the state.

The suspects were said to have distributed registration cards bearing the name of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) while collecting money from unsuspecting members of the public under the guise of providing medical services.

This comes as PCACC) intensified efforts to investigate proprietors of illegal health institutions in the state, with about 35 private colleges of health sciences reportedly running unaccredited community health courses currently under investigation.

Confirming the arrests, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, Nabilusi Abubakar, said the operation followed credible intelligence from members of the public.

According to Abubakar, the operation was conducted by the ministry, in collaboration with the Private Health Institutions Management Agency (PHIMA), Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), and Kano State Police Command.

He explained that a joint team from these bodies was swiftly deployed to the location after the tip-off, and the Kano State Police Command was subsequently contacted for the arrests of the suspects, who, he added, were currently in police custody at the Bompai Headquarters.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Yusuf, was further cited to say that the suspects were operating under the name, Brother Paul Legacy Foundation, purported to be a non-governmental organisation.

According to the commissioner, preliminary investigations established that the mastermind and other suspects were neither qualified health professionals nor possessed any recognised health-related certification.

He disclosed that the registration cards issued by the suspects, which bore an address in Karu Local Council Area of Nasarawa State, falsely promised “free treatment,” apparently to lure unsuspecting victims into their illegal operation.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of PCACC, Mr Sa’idu Yahaya, said an investigation into the operations of private tertiary health institutions running unaccredited courses had commenced. He added that the investigation followed a petition by the Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria (ACHPN).