The attorney-general of the federation and minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has filed fresh 12-count criminal charges against an Abuja-based fertility doctor, Pastor John Abebe, over alleged unlawful disclosures of his patients’ medical records, sale of human embryos and fraud.
Also charged with Abebe are his hospital, Joje Abebe Fertility Centre Limited and one Balikis Olanike Bakare.
The development runs contrary to a statement issued last Friday by Abebe’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, who claimed that the federal government did not file any fresh criminal charges against his client.
In the new charges filed on 21st July, 2026, at the registry of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abebe, who is a pastor with Living Faith Church, (aka Winners Chapel), Durumi, Abuja, was charged alongside his hospital and Bakare who was not part of the three-count charge filed on 12th January, 2026, by the inspector-general of police (IGP).
In the charge sheet, the defendant, Bakare and Joje Abebe Fertility Centre Limited were charged with criminal conspiracy, conspiracy to commit fraud and giving false information to mislead police investigators, amongst others.
Abebe and the hospital were arraigned on 11th March, 2026, before Justice Akeem Fashola of Court 31, Jabi, Abuja, on a three-count charge and were granted bail.
On 18 June 2026, when the matter came up for hearing, the Attorney General took over the case from the Inspector General of Police following the former Commander of the Special Tactical Squad, Dauda Iliya Ayuba, who refused to arraign Pastor Abebe on 19 February 2026.
The new charges contained disturbing details of how Pastor Abebe sold 9 out of the 12 human embryos belonging to Mr. & Mrs Adamu Hassan to other patients, comprising 2 males and 7 females.
He is also accused of defrauding the couple of the sum of N19 million in addition to the administration of fake and substandard drugs that led to the cessation of Mrs Manga’s menstrual cycle since January 2025 and the continued deterioration of her health, amongst others.
Prosecutors said Pastor Abebe and Balikis Olanike Bakare claimed to have transferred two male Embroyos to a purported surrogate mother, one Miss Joy Ene Pius. In contrast, evidence gathered by investigators speaks to the contrary.
The arraignment of the defendants has been fixed for 28 October 2026.
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