A Nigerian immigrant, Lucius Njoku, has been sentenced to 16 weeks in prison by a UK court for impersonating a female nurse and working shifts at a major hospital under her identity.
The 33-year-old migrant worked as a healthcare assistant at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire between February and April 2024, using the name and credentials of his friend, Joyce George, a fellow Nigerian national and qualified nurse.
George, who secured the nursing position through an external agency, allegedly allowed Njoku to cover her shifts. The pair reportedly communicated via text messages about hospital schedules, which were later uncovered during a police raid on George’s residence in Ellesmere Port.
Prosecutor Lisa McGuire told Chester magistrates’ court that Njoku provided direct care to critically ill patients in the accident and emergency (A&E) department, including washing, dressing, and conducting medical observations.
“Fortunately, no patients were harmed, and there were no complaints about his performance,” McGuire said. “But the breach of access and trust is deeply concerning.”
George is believed to have fled to Nigeria after being charged with fraud. An arrest warrant has been issued for the former agency nurse.
Njoku, who arrived in the UK on a student visa and later became a dependent on his wife’s work visa, admitted to fraud by false representation. His solicitor, Steven Alis, described him as a qualified nurse facing financial hardship at the time.
“It is surprising that his presence went undetected by hospital management,” Alis told the court, noting that required safeguarding checks had not been completed during Njoku’s employment.
The deception was exposed when a patient noticed discrepancies and confronted Njoku, who was wearing George’s NHS badge bearing her photograph.
“My name is Joyce, but I am a man,” Njoku reportedly told the patient.
District Judge John McGarva handed down a 16-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months, along with 80 hours of unpaid community work and £239 in court costs and surcharges.
Njoku, who now works at Vauxhall Motors and is fully qualified in the care sector, faces an uncertain immigration status. It remains unclear whether he will face deportation.
His wife, a healthcare worker, originally entered the UK as a dependent on Njoku’s student visa before securing her own employment authorization.
The case has raised fresh concerns about identity verification and oversight in agency-supplied healthcare staffing across the National Health Service (NHS).
