The United Kingdom’s National Health Service Counter Fraud Authority has revealed that it secured a three-year jail sentence against a Nigerian doctor, Richard Akinrolabu, for fraud by false representation amounting to £268,000.
According to a statement published on the NHSCFA website on Monday, Akinrolabu served as a trust grade specialist registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Princess Royal University Hospital.
Between 2018 and 2021, he reportedly presented various excuses to reduce his workload.
Despite claiming he was medically unfit to undertake night duties, the NHSCFA said he secretly took up shifts at other hospitals, working the same hours he told his employer he could not handle.
The statement read in part, “A former NHS resident doctor has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to defrauding the NHS out of more than £268,000, following an NHS Counter Fraud Authority investigation. Between October 2018 and December 2021, he worked on-call and night shifts at three additional trusts, despite informing his employer that he was unfit to do the same work for them.
“He worked these shifts whilst on sick leave or on reduced duties from King’s College Hospital. As well as paying Dr Akinrolabu his full salary, the trust had to employ locums to cover these shifts.
“In November 2021, KCH received information stating that Akinrolabu had been working night shifts at Basildon Hospital. Investigations by the trust’s local counter fraud team found that he had worked several on-call shifts there.”*
After receiving reports about his actions, the NHSCFA said it carried out an independent probe, secured evidence, and invited him for questioning in 2022, but he refused to comment.
Akinrolabu was later charged with four counts of fraud by false representation at Woolwich Crown Court.
The agency explained that King’s College Hospital supplied documents confirming he never requested or obtained approval for secondary employment.
Timesheets from the three other trusts also showed he repeatedly worked night and on-call shifts despite claiming he was unfit for such duties.
The statement continued, “In June 2022, the local counter fraud team interviewed Akinrolabu under caution, during which he gave a ‘no comment’ response. Following further investigation by the NHSCFA, he was subsequently charged with four counts of Fraud by False Representation.
“Richard Akinrolabu, 61, of Orpington, Kent, received his sentence at Woolwich Crown Court on November 4, 2025, having previously pleaded guilty to all four counts of Fraud by False Representation at the same court on September 3, 2025.”*
Presiding Judge David Miller condemned the doctor’s conduct, saying, “You lied to occupational health, your colleagues and your employer. The public doesn’t expect doctors to lie for personal gain.”
NHSCFA’s Head of Operations, Ben Harrison, also remarked, “This case demonstrates a clear and deliberate abuse of trust by an NHS professional who knowingly breached the conditions of his employment for personal gain.
“By working additional on-call and night shifts, despite being unfit to do so, Akinrolabu defrauded the NHS of substantial funds that should have supported patient care.
“The NHS Counter Fraud Authority will continue to ensure that those who seek to exploit the health service for their own benefit are identified and brought to justice.”
Akinrolabu’s sentencing adds to the list of Nigerians convicted abroad for fraudulent activities.
In September, The PUNCH reported that a UK-based Nigerian, Farouk Adekunle Adepoju, was arrested after the United States requested his extradition over allegations of wire and computer fraud.
US prosecutors allege that Adepoju infiltrated the email system of a Pennsylvania construction firm working for a university and created fake accounts to impersonate staff, diverting payments in the process.
