By Deborah Nnamdi
A 33-year-old Nigerian man, Lucius Njoku, has been handed a suspended prison sentence in the United Kingdom for posing as a female nurse to work at an NHS hospital in Cheshire.
Njoku reportedly used the identity of his friend, Joyce George, also a Nigerian, to secure work as a healthcare assistant at the Countess of Chester Hospital between February and April 2024.
According to the UK’s Telegraph, Njoku wore George’s NHS name badge—which carried her photograph—and worked several shifts at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency department without detection.
His deception was uncovered only after a patient confronted him about the mismatch between his appearance and the name on his badge. Njoku allegedly responded, “My name is Joyce – but I am a man.”
Subsequent CCTV reviews confirmed that he had worked multiple shifts under George’s name. Investigations showed that George, 32, had been employed through an agency and had permitted Njoku to take her shifts. Police later found Njoku at George’s residence, where evidence from seized phones revealed messages coordinating their work schedules.
Njoku, who lives separately with his wife—an NHS employee—pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at the Chester Magistrates’ Court.
He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid community service, as well as pay £239 in costs and surcharge.
District Judge Jack McGarva, while delivering judgment, said Njoku had “deceived [his] way into a job which requires safeguarding checks and bypassed those checks,” adding that the act undermined the integrity of the NHS vetting process.
He, however, noted that Njoku’s lack of prior convictions and the quality of his work were mitigating factors in the decision to suspend the sentence.
Meanwhile, George fled the UK after being charged with fraud and is believed to have returned to Nigeria. A warrant has been issued for her arrest.
Prosecutor Lisa McGuire told the court that both suspects had initially given “no comment” interviews, while Njoku’s solicitor, Steven Alis, said his client took the job due to financial difficulties while awaiting his own work clearance.
Authorities have not yet disclosed whether Njoku will face deportation, as he is currently a dependent on his wife’s work visa.
