The 40-year-old doctor was said to have forged documents, including an identity card, portraying himself as a surgeon and gyneacologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).
Lagos State Police public relations officer, Ngozi Braide, said Akintolure was arrested after defrauding a woman identified as Joy Umosekhaimhe of N500, 000.
Briade said the suspect showed a yearly practising licence allegedly issued to him by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
The police spokesperson said: "A petition was received by the Area 'H' Ogudu Police Command, accusing the suspect of obtaining N500, 000 from Joy Umosekhaimhe under false pretence. It is an offence punishable in law. Upon interrogation, the suspect identified himself as a doctor at LUTH and tendered his LUTH identity card with no 13541.
"A letter was written to the hospital to authenticate his claims and LUTH replied that he was not an employee. The suspect subsequently confessed that he was not a doctor, but had been practising for four years, using his vehicle as a mobile clinic.
"His house was searched and different kinds of drugs which included injections, syringes, stethoscope, blood pressure monitor and a lab coat, were recovered from him."
The suspect blamed poverty for his illegal act, adding that he needed money to fend for his family.
According to the suspect, he only treated malaria and typhoid. He said he charged only N4,000 for every services.
He insisted that he never defrauded Umosekhaimhe of the said amount: "I borrowed only N260, 000 from Umosekhaimhe, not N500,000 and I used the money to take care of my brother, who is suffering from a kidney disease. I am actually a graduate, I studied Marketing on part time at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and graduated in 1997. I acquired my medical experience at a hospital in Akure where I was employed as the personal assistant to a doctor, but I also worked as an auxiliary nurse.
"I know I'm not meant to be practising medicine, but I have never killed anyone through the act. I don't treat pregnant women. I only treat typhoid and malaria at the cost of N4, 000. Sometimes I administer injections. I took to medicine because of unemployment. The vehicle I use as my mobile clinic belongs to my wife, but she did not know that I was a fake doctor."
The police spokesperson has vowed that the suspect would soon be charged to court to serve as a deterrent to others.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.
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