Refined Title: Connecticut Nursing Board Suspends Nigerian Nurses, Others in Ongoing Diploma Fraud Investigation
By Fellow Nurses Africa
October 2, 2025
In a resolute step to safeguard patient safety and uphold the integrity of the nursing profession, the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing has suspended the licenses of two Nigerian nurses, Abiola Michael Fagbemigun and Oluchi Nwokocha, alongside Ian Lindsay of Stamford, as part of the ongoing federal probe known as “Operation Nightingale.”
These suspensions, announced during the board’s Tuesday meeting, reflect a commitment to addressing credential fraud with both accountability and compassion, ensuring trust in a field where lives depend on competence and care.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that Fagbemigun, Nwokocha, and Lindsay obtained their nursing credentials from Florida-based for-profit schools now under federal scrutiny, without completing the mandatory clinical training or coursework required for safe practice. Lindsay, who has practiced since 2015, lacked essential educational foundations, while Fagbemigun falsely claimed enrollment in a nonexistent bridge program from licensed practical nurse to registered nurse.
The board deemed all three an “immediate threat to public health and safety,” prompting swift suspensions pending hearings to ensure due process before any permanent revocation.
This action follows the earlier suspension of Victoria Owusu in September, whose license was halted for similar fraudulent credentials tied to the same schools. Since the National Council of State Boards of Nursing alerted Connecticut to the scheme in November 2022, the DPH has reviewed 172 cases, resolving 74 with disciplinary measures—such as license revocations or voluntary surrenders—closing 41 without action, with 20 pending adjudication and 37 still under investigation.
Operation Nightingale, launched in 2022 by the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services, uncovered a network of for-profit schools that issued over 7,600 fraudulent degrees for fees, bypassing critical clinical and academic requirements. Many recipients, often experienced licensed practical nurses, passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) legitimately but relied on falsified transcripts to secure licenses.
On September 15, 2025, Phase II of the investigation indicted 12 individuals, including Carleen Noreus, Gilbert Hyppolite, Irene Matthews, Lemuel Pierre, Joel Lubin, Jose Napoleon, Victor Escalante Zerpa, Cleophat Tanis, Lonnette Blair, Stephanie Dorisca, Patrick Buchanan, and Herline Lochard, for roles in operating schools like Carleen Health Institute and Med-Life Institute.
These indictments follow 30 convictions in Phase I, targeting figures like Lonna M. Shubbs and Joan Celeste for similar fraud.
Other Connecticut nurses disciplined since the probe began include Althea Rosemarie Grant McLean, Olga Rene, Rochelle George, Peggy Kayumba, Yma Letitia Burke-Tomlinson, Sheryl Charlton (license revoked), Funmi Williams (voluntary surrender), Khadine Shields, Tynesha Pridgen, and Stephanie Lamour (license revoked), all linked to fraudulent credentials from the implicated institutions.
The DPH’s ongoing efforts reflect a meticulous approach to balancing justice with fairness, often allowing voluntary surrenders to mitigate further distress.
“This is a profound challenge for our profession,”
said Nurse Adeola Osho, a Lagos-based contributor to Fellow Nurses Africa.
“Many nurses, particularly from diaspora communities, may have been misled by exploitative schemes, but our duty to patients demands unwavering standards. We must rebuild trust through transparency and support for ethical education.”
For African nurses and global practitioners, this scandal underscores the urgent need for robust credential verification and accessible, legitimate pathways to licensure.
Fellow Nurses Africa is the independent voice of African nursing, we educate, inform and support nurses across Africa
