Nigerian Man Jailed in UK for Impersonating Female Nurse to Work in NHS Hospital

A Nigerian man, Lucius Njoku, has been sentenced to a suspended prison term in the United Kingdom after fraudulently posing as a female nurse to work shifts at a UK hospital.

Njoku, 33, worked under the identity of his friend Joyce George, 32, at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire, where he spent two months serving as a healthcare assistant using her NHS name badge — which even bore her photograph.

The deception came to light after a patient confronted him about his identity. According to The Telegraph UK, Njoku shockingly replied: “My name is Joyce – but I am a man.”

Hospital management launched an investigation and CCTV footage confirmed Njoku had worked several shifts under the stolen identity between February and April 2024.

Further inquiries revealed that George, also a Nigerian national, had secured her job through an external recruitment agency. Prosecutors said she allowed Njoku to take her shifts while she collected payment. Police later raided her residence and found Njoku hiding there.

Digital evidence, including messages between both suspects, showed they had coordinated work schedules and payments.

At Chester Magistrates’ Court, Njoku pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation. He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, ordered to complete 80 hours of community service, and pay £239 in costs and surcharges.

Judge Jack McGarva condemned Njoku’s actions, noting that while he performed the job competently, he had “bypassed critical safeguarding checks” essential for NHS workers.

“You deceived your way into a job which requires safeguarding checks and you bypassed those checks. That undermines the DBS system,” the judge said.

Njoku’s lawyer, Steven Alis, told the court that his client came to the UK as a student and took the job out of financial desperation, adding that Njoku had no prior convictions and was qualified for the role.

It remains unclear whether Njoku will face deportation, as he is reportedly a dependant on his wife’s NHS work visa.

Meanwhile, Joyce George, who facilitated the fraud, fled to Nigeria after being charged. UK authorities have issued a warrant for her arrest.