Living Faith Church Worldwide Pastor, John Onuwabhagbe Abebe, Arraigned Over Alleged N19m Fraud, Sale of Couple’s Embryos

A pastor with the Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners’ Chapel), Durumi, Abuja, and an Abuja-based medical practitioner, John Onuwabhagbe Abebe, has been taken to court by the Federal Government over alleged fraud, criminal conspiracy, unlawful disclosure of confidential medical records, and the sale of a couple’s embryos.

The charges were filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in suit number CV/005/26 by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, against Dr. Abebe and his hospital, Joje Abebe Fertility Centre Limited.
In the three-count charge, prosecutors alleged that Dr. Abebe unlawfully released the confidential medical records of Mrs. Mary Manga without her consent, in violation of Section 29 of the National Health Act, 2014.
The government further alleged that between January and May 2025, Dr. Abebe, described as a Chief Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist, obtained N19 million from the couple under the pretext of being an In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) specialist.
He is accused of converting the funds to personal use, an offence punishable under Section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
Prosecutors also claimed that the doctor sold the couple’s fully developed embryos to other patients—an allegation which, if established, could rank among the most serious fertility-related scandals in Nigeria’s recent history.
Count one states that John Onuwabhagbe Abebe, 54, and Joje Abebe Fertility Centre Limited, while in custody of Mr. and Mrs. Mary Manga’s medical records relating to their health and reproductive status on or before August 6, 2025, in Abuja, allegedly abused their office by releasing the confidential records to members of the public without authorisation, thereby exposing the victims to trauma. The charge cites Section 299 of the National Health Act, 2014.
Count two alleges that on or about September 17, 2025, Dr. Abebe was invited by officers of the FID STS Police Force Headquarters, FCT Abuja, for breaching a confidentiality agreement with Mr. Adamu Hassan, husband of Mrs. Mary Manga, regarding his reproductive health status. Prosecutors claimed that on August 6, 2025, Dr. Abebe attached the couple’s medical history, indicating poor fertility status, to a Demand Pre-Action Notice from the law firm of Fabunmi and Co. The document was reportedly received and read by Albert Gaji, litigation secretary to Y.J. Imam Yusuf John Esq, and later became accessible to other members of the public, allegedly causing ongoing trauma. The charge references Section 29 of the National Health Act, 2014.
Count three alleges that between January and May 2025, within the jurisdiction of the court, Dr. Abebe and his fertility centre, with intent to defraud, deceived and obtained N19 million from Mrs. Mary Manga and her husband under the pretext of being skilled in IVF procedures, despite allegedly lacking such expertise. He is further accused of converting the funds and some of the embryos to personal use, contrary to Section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
The matter is currently before Justice A. A. Fashola of the FCT High Court and is expected to address critical questions surrounding medical ethics, patient confidentiality, and the enforcement of health and fraud laws in Nigeria.