The management of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) has said that it uncovered an elderly man who was accused of defrauding a patient without being employed by the hospital.
The hospital said that its SERVICOM unit made the discovery during routine surveillance, stating that the individual had been defrauding patients and their relatives within the hospital premises.
The spokesperson of ATBUTH, Abdullahi Usman Koli, explained that the suspect was apprehended during a night surveillance operation after collecting N45,000 from relatives of a gunshot injury patient. He said that the suspect falsely demanded N5,000 for a hospital smart card and N40,000 for the purchase of drugs, while the actual cost of the smart card is N1,000 and the drugs purchased cost N18,150.
“The balance of N27,000 was recovered, and the suspect has been handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution,” he said.
The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Yusuf Jibrin Bara, commended the SERVICOM team while reiterating the management’s zero tolerance for extortion, impersonation, and sharp practices.
He urged patients and the general public to remain vigilant and report suspicious individuals or demands for unofficial payments to SERVICOM desks or relevant hospital authorities, assuring that management would continue to strengthen surveillance to protect patients and ensure transparency.
The management also alerted the public to fraudsters impersonating hospital officials and collecting money from individuals under the guise of offering employment or facilitating appointments. Management emphasised that no staff member or individual is authorised to collect money, gifts, or any form of inducement for employment or appointment into the hospital.
Recall that in October 2025, ATBUTH emerged as the 2025 Best Federal Health Institution for its innovative deployment of technology in healthcare delivery.
The hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Yusuf Bara Jibrin, also received the Distinguished GovTech Trailblazer’s Award for his visionary leadership and commitment to advancing digital governance and innovation in Nigeria’s health sector.
Both awards were presented at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja, during the Nigeria GovTech Public Service Awards 2025 organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) under the Presidency.
The event, themed “Nigeria GovTech Public Service Awards 2025,” brought together top government officials, policymakers, innovators, and public servants from across the country to celebrate excellence in governance and service delivery.
ATBUTH and its CMD were honoured for outstanding achievements in digital transformation, healthcare innovation, and institutional modernization.
