
Nigerian health advocate Dr. Chinonso Egemba, popularly known as Aproko Doctor, has raised fresh concerns about a dangerous “cryptic pregnancy” scam targeting women across the country.
In a post on X, the medical doctor cautioned that fraudsters are deceiving women by administering hormone injections to mimic pregnancy symptoms. Victims are later handed babies believed to have been trafficked under the guise of miraculous deliveries.
“Anybody that tells you another person cannot see the baby in your womb with an ultrasound scan is about to scam you,” he warned.
“If there’s a pregnancy, it will show on a scan. Many women are being deceived this way.”
The warning gained traction after Bambam, a former Big Brother Naija star, shared a viral testimony about a woman in her church who allegedly carried a pregnancy for over three years, a claim medical professionals dismissed as impossible.
Another Nigerian doctor, Olusina Ajidahun, widely known as The Bearded Dr. Sina, also weighed in. He explained that such victims are usually injected with hormones to simulate pregnancy symptoms like weight gain and nausea, while being told to avoid second opinions at other hospitals.
He further alleged that during supposed deliveries, women are sedated and later handed stolen babies.
“It is a cartel of baby factories that exploit desperate women and call it ‘cryptic pregnancy,’” he said.
The scam has been previously exposed in a BBC Africa Eye investigation, which documented how women, including teenagers, were manipulated and in some cases held against their will in inhumane conditions.
Experts warn that these schemes prey on vulnerable women longing for children, often charging them huge sums for fraudulent treatments. The doctors advised women to seek care only from certified medical professionals and to always request independent ultrasound scans to confirm pregnancy.