A Nigerian man, Lucius Njoku, has been sentenced in the UK for impersonating a female nurse and working illegally at an NHS hospital using his friend’s identity.
A 33-year-old Nigerian man, Lucius Njoku, has been handed a suspended prison sentence in the United Kingdom for impersonating a female nurse to work at an NHS hospital.
Njoku used the identity of his friend, Joyce George, to secure shifts as a healthcare assistant at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire between February and April 2024. He wore George’s name badge, which carried her photograph, and worked undetected until a patient confronted him. Njoku reportedly replied, “My name is Joyce – but I am a man.”
CCTV footage later confirmed his presence during several shifts. Police investigations revealed that George, also a Nigerian national, had allowed Njoku to work under her name. She fled the UK after being charged and is believed to have returned to Nigeria.
At Chester Magistrates’ Court, Njoku admitted fraud by false representation. He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work, and pay £239 in costs and surcharge.