US charges no fewer than 18 Nigerian nurses over alleged fake qualifications

According to The PUNCH, there are currently 18 nurses of Nigerian heritage charged in Texas, USA, for falsifying their educational credentials.

This is in accordance with a statement that was found on the Texas board of nursing's website and that our correspondent got on Sunday.

According to the statement, ongoing investigations have found that a total of 23 practicing nurses were involved in a massive diploma and transcript fraud operation.

On January 25, 2023, the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General initiated an investigation dubbed "Operation Nightingale" with the goal of apprehending anyone involved in a scam to sell fake and fraudulent nursing degree credentials and transcripts.

They are Yetunde Felicia Abiodun, Adelakun, Abiodun Aveez, Adelekan, Joseph Adewale, Adeoye, Vivien Temitope, Adewale, Modinat Abidemi, Afolabi, Olufemi Toun, Afolabi, Omowunmi F, Agbo, Odumegwu Steve, and Ajibade, Charlot Omotayo.

Additional names include Akande, Olabisi Christiana; Akhigbe; Akinrolabu; Folasade Margaret; Ako; Akpan; Rosemary Moses; Alimi; Bukola A; Ani; Justina; Aroh; Nchekwube C.; and Sherifat Olubunmi.

The Texas Board of Nursing went on to say that the scheme's participants obtained phony nursing qualifications that they then utilized to take the national nursing board exam.

The statement partly reads, “The board has filed Formal Charges against the following nurses for fraudulently obtaining educational credentials.

“The board is authorised to file Formal Charges against a nurse if probable cause exists that the nurse has committed an act listed in Tex. Occ. Code §301.452(b) or that violates other laws. See Tex. Occ. Code §301.458. Further, Formal Charges are publicly available. See Tex. Occ. Code §301.466(b).

“Please note that Formal Charges are not a final disciplinary action, and a nurse is permitted to work, as a nurse, while Formal Charges are pending.” 

Source