ABT NEWS | London / Abuja
A damning series of regulatory decisions published by the United Kingdom’s Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) reveals that at least 16 Nigerian-trained medical professionals were hit with severe sanctions—including suspensions and permanent erasures from the UK medical register—over a 12-month period between July 2025 and July 2026.
The tribunal’s published records detail a wide range of criminal acts and professional breaches, including social security fraud, illegal drug possession, unauthorized practice, theft, and sexual assault.
Breakdown of Tribunal Rulings (July 2025 – July 2026)
The MPTS, which adjudicates fitness-to-practise cases referred by the UK General Medical Council (GMC), held hearings involving Nigerian doctors in nearly every month of the year reviewed:
- Cases Reviewed: 18 medical professionals
- Suspended from Practice: 10 doctors
- Struck Off (Erased from Register): At least 3 doctors
- Formal Warnings Issued: 1 doctor
- Offences Cited: Fraud, sexual misconduct/rape, theft, illegal drug possession, forged credentials, and unauthorized medical practice.
Spotlight Case: Universal Credit Fraud & Forged Documents
Among the prominent cases detailing professional misconduct is that of Olubunmi Adeagbo-Sheikh, a gastroenterologist who obtained his primary medical degree from Igbinedion University in Edo State, Nigeria, and previously worked at Orpington Hospital in London.
Adeagbo-Sheikh was erased from the UK medical register in September 2025 following a criminal conviction for benefit fraud.
- The Benefit Scheme: In August 2018, before registering with the GMC, Adeagbo-Sheikh submitted an application for Universal Credit—a UK welfare benefit meant for low-income or unemployed individuals.
- The Forgery: He supplied a fake residential address and a forged tenancy agreement claiming £900 per month in rent, wrongfully receiving £11,000 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) over 13 months.
- Police Findings: Law enforcement seized his devices, finding WhatsApp messages discussing the benefit scheme, forged tenancy papers, and a fake CV.
- Regulatory Outcome: Following a guilty plea in court, the MPTS determined his actions broke fundamental tenets of the medical profession, concluding that erasure from the medical register was the only appropriate action to protect public trust.
Why Are These Cases Escalating?
The steady volume of disciplinary hearings highlights several intersecting systemic factors:
- Uncompromising Professional Standards: In the UK, fitness-to-practise standards extend beyond clinical skill. Criminal convictions—even those committed prior to registration or outside of a clinical setting (such as benefit fraud or false documentation)—automatically trigger tribunal proceedings.
- Increased International Recruitment: High rates of medical emigration from Nigeria to fill National Health Service (NHS) staffing shortages have increased the overall number of foreign-trained doctors working under UK regulatory jurisdiction.
- Strict Policy on Honesty & Integrity: UK medical regulators treat financial dishonesty and falsification of records with equal severity to clinical malpractice, maintaining that public confidence in healthcare relies on absolute probity.
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