Section 17: Offences and penalties.

(1) Subject to subsections (6) and (7) of this section, if any person who is not a registered medical practitioner-
(a) for or in expectation of reward, practises or holds himself out to practise as a medical practitioner; or
(b) takes or uses the title of physician, surgeon, doctor or licentiate of medicine, medical practitioner or apothecary; or
(c) without reasonable excuse takes or uses any name, title, addition or description implying that he is authorised by law to practise as a medical practitioner, he shall be guilty of an offence.
(2) Subject to subsections (6) and (7) of this section, if any person who is not a registered dental surgeon-
(a) for or in expectation of reward, practises or holds himself out to practise as a dental surgeon; or
(b) takes or uses the title of dental surgeon, dentist or dental practitioner; or
(c) without reasonable excuse takes or uses any name, title, addition or description implying that he is authorised by law to practise as a dentist,
he shall be guilty of an offence under this section.
(3) If any person, for the purpose of procuring the registration of any name, qualification or other matter-
(a) makes a statement which he believes to be false in a material particular; or
(b) recklessly makes a statement which is false in a material particular, he shall be guilty of an offence under this section.
(4) If the Registrar or any other person employed by the Council wilfully makes any falsification in any matter relating to the register he shall be guilty of an offence under this section.
(5) A person who is guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable-
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding N5,000;
(b) on conviction or indictment, to a fine not exceeding N10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both such fine and imprisonment
(6) Where any person is acknowledged by the members generally of the community to which he belongs as having been trained in the system of therapeutic medicine traditionally in use in that community, nothing in paragraph (a) of subsection (1) or paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section shall be construed as making it an offence for that person to practise or to hold himself out to practise that system.
(7)
The exemption conferred by subsection (6) of this section shall not extend to any activity involving an incision in human tissue or to administering, supplying or recommending the use of any dangerous drugs within the meaning of Part V of the Dangerous Drugs Act.
[Cap. D1.]
(8)
Nothing in subsection (1) or (2) of this section shall be construed as making it an offence for a person employed as a medical practitioner or dental surgeon on any ship, other than a Nigerian ship within the meaning of the Merchant Shipping Act, to act as a medical practitioner or dental surgeon in relation to the master, crew and passengers of that ship.
[Cap. MJ 1.]
(9) Where an offence, under this section which has been committed by a body corporate is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate, or any person purporting to act in any such capacity, he, as well as the body corporate, shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.