At least 18 Nigerians working as medical professionals in the United Kingdom were referred to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) between July 2025 and July 2026, with several suspended and others struck off the medical register over offences including rape, fraud, theft, drug-related offences and unauthorised practice.

“Although the majority of the cases handled by the UK tribunal did not involve Nigerians, the tribunal heard at least one case involving a Nigerian each month during this period, except in January.” Among those struck off was Aloaye Foy-Yamah, a Nigerian-trained gynaecologist who had practised in England for more than 14 years. In May 2026, a tribunal found that he had raped a woman on the “balance of probabilities” and ruled that he posed a risk to women, leading to his removal from the medical register.

Another major case involved Olubunmi Adeagbo-Sheikh, who was erased from the medical register after a criminal conviction for benefit fraud. Tribunal records said he fraudulently obtained £11,000 in Universal Credit using a fake tenancy agreement and false address. Although he repaid the money and completed community service, the tribunal described his conduct as “fraud from start to finish” and ruled that his “premeditated and persistent dishonesty” meant he could no longer remain registered. The tribunal also questioned documents he submitted in his defence, concluding that “five and a half pages of this document are likely to have been written by Mr Adeagbo-Sheikh, but not the remaining 16 and a half pages, which would appear to have been written with AI support.”

Joseph Onwude, a Nigerian-trained gynaecologist, was also struck off after continuing to practise despite losing his licence. He prescribed medication and performed an HRT implant procedure while unauthorised to practise, later facing criminal conviction and professional disciplinary proceedings. Other Nigerians sanctioned included Sandra Ndirika, suspended over theft and use of a cloned bank card; Anthony Shonde, who received a nine-month suspension after issuing more than 1,000 excessive prescriptions for potent opiates; and Chikaodinaka Okolo, suspended over drug-related conduct and improper prescriptions.

Tijjani Shehu was suspended for 12 months after the tribunal found that he failed to properly assess a seriously ill patient who later died, although it did not find that his actions caused or contributed to the death.

The cases underline the strict professional standards governing doctors in the UK, where practitioners must remain registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and meet its fitness-to-practise requirements. The MPTS conducts hearings for doctors referred by the GMC, with sanctions ranging from warnings and suspensions to permanent removal from the register.

The findings also highlight the contrast with Nigeria, where detailed records of disciplinary proceedings by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal are not readily available to the public. With Nigerians among the UK’s largest groups of overseas-trained health professionals, the cases show the serious professional consequences that can follow when doctors breach criminal, ethical or patient-safety standards. (The Guardian, excluding headline)

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