Abuja High Court adjourns the IVF fraud case against Dr. John Abebe over alleged embryo theft and medical privacy breaches

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Gudu, Abuja, has adjourned the trial of medical practitioner Dr. John Abebe and Joje Abebe Hospital Limited over allegations of IVF fraud, embryo theft and unlawful disclosure of patients’ confidential medical records.

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Justice Akeem Fashola on Tuesday fixed June 18, 2026, for the continuation of proceedings after a procedural disagreement emerged between the prosecution and defence over a pending application before the court.

Dr. Abebe and the hospital are facing a three-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and fraud filed by the Inspector General of Police.

The defendants, who were first arraigned on March 11, pleaded not guilty to all charges.

According to the charge sheet, the prosecution alleged in Count One that Dr. Abebe unlawfully released the confidential medical records of Mrs. Mary Manga to the public on August 6, 2025, without authorisation.

The prosecution further stated that the alleged disclosure left the complainant traumatised and struggling to recover from the shock, an act said to be contrary to Section 29 of the National Health Act, 2014.

In Count Two, the Inspector General of Police accused the doctor of breaching a confidentiality agreement involving Mrs. Manga’s husband, Mr. Adamu Hassan.

The prosecution alleged that Dr. Abebe attached Mr. Hassan’s medical history, including details of his “poor fertility status”, to a legal demand notice sent to a third-party law firm.

Count Three alleged that the medical practitioner, described as the Chief Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist of Joje Hospital Limited, fraudulently obtained ₦19 million from the couple between January and May 2025 under false pretences.

The prosecution also accused Dr. Abebe of converting some of the couple’s embryos for personal use, an allegation brought under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, defence counsel Marvin Omorogbe initially sought to move a pending application before later proposing that the substantive trial should proceed instead.

However, Justice Fashola ruled that the prosecution counsel, Malik D. Taiwo, must be given time to formally respond to the application unless the defence expressly withdrew it.

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Dr. Abebe, who had earlier been granted bail following his arraignment, is expected to return to court on June 18 for the continuation of the high-profile IVF fraud case.