A fake medical practitioner, who infected a six-year old boy with HIV through contaminated blood transfusion, has been arrested by Nasarawa State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).

The state Commandant, Bashir-Kano, who disclosed this, yesterday, while speaking with newsmen in Lafia, the state capital, identified the suspect as a 30-year old Jonathan Ibrahim.

Bashir-Kano said that investigation into the case revealed that both the suspect and his wife tested positive to the virus. He said the command had concluded investigation, adding that the state government, through the Attorney-General have begun the prosecution of the suspect.

“As we speak, the suspect has already been remanded at the Lafia prisons following his arraignment at the Upper Area Court in Doma on Tuesday, Aug. 1,’’ Bashir-Kano said. He said the command was working out modality to see how it could assist the boy’s family ameliorate his plight and called on spirited individuals to reach out to him through the command.

The state command of NSCDC had on July 17, arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly operating an illegal clinic and infecting a 6-year-old boy with HIV through transfusion of unscreened blood. Bashir-Kano said the suspect, who operated a clinic at Iwashi village in Doma council of the state, was arrested following complaint about his activities from members of the public.

According to him, the parents of the boy recently discovered that he had been infected with the virus. He added that tests were carried out on the boy in Lafia following frequent illness which showed that he was HIV positive.

The commandant said the suspect had confessed to running an illegal clinic and transfused unscreened blood at his facility last year. “If such persons are not made to face the law, there would be increased cases of untimely death occasioned by fake medical treatment,” he said.