A Lagos-based architect, Alfred Ogene, has accused R-Jolad Hospital Nigeria Limited of medical negligence, alleging that poor treatment while on admission caused permanent damage to his urinary system.
Ogene made the allegation in a formal legal claim filed through his lawyers, Nojim Tairu & Co. Legal Practitioners. The claim was contained in a memorandum signed by a lawyer in the firm, Joseph Aborisade.
According to the document, Ogene was admitted to the hospital in the early hours of November 15, 2025, after suffering partial paralysis following a stroke.
The claimant said doctors at the facility inserted a urinary catheter to help him pass urine, but complications began shortly after.
“In the early hours of 16th November 2025, our client noticed that while he urinated, part of the urine went into the catheter bag while the rest spilled over his body,” the memorandum stated.
He said he reported the issue to a doctor on duty, after which a nurse identified as Nurse Oseni removed the first catheter and inserted another one.
However, Ogene alleged that about two hours later, he began to experience severe pain in his groin area and raised the alarm.
“About two hours after the new catheter was inserted, our client started feeling pains in his groin area and immediately called the attention of the nurse in attendance, Nurse Elizabeth,” the document said.
According to him, despite repeated complaints, the nurse insisted that the catheter was properly fixed and ignored his distress.
The claim stated that Ogene’s condition worsened as the pain increased and his abdomen became swollen.
The solicitors said two doctors later intervened, but only after what they described as prolonged mishandling of the catheter.
“At this point, our client’s abdomen had become very bloated and hard, obviously as a result of the wrong insertion of the catheter, leading to prolonged retention of urine fluid,” the memorandum read.
They further alleged that the doctors forcefully removed the catheter, causing bleeding.
“The doctors crudely pulled out the catheter from our client’s urethra, which consequently gave way to blood spilling over our client’s body and the bed,” the lawyers stated.
According to the claim, the medical team struggled to manage the situation for about 35 minutes before piercing Ogene’s lower abdomen to drain urine directly from his bladder.
“The medical team, comprising the two doctors and a nurse, unsuccessfully struggled to manage the situation for about 35 minutes, after which they eventually resorted to piercing our client’s lower abdomen to drain urine directly out of his bladder,” the document added.
Ogene’s lawyers alleged that the nurse who handled the case acted unprofessionally and that the hospital failed to provide timely specialist care.
They said the incident left the claimant with lasting physical injuries, emotional trauma and public humiliation.
According to the claim, Ogene has been unable to carry out daily activities, attend physiotherapy sessions for his stroke recovery, or continue his work as a consultant architect and pastor.
The solicitors are demanding N500m as compensation for negligent treatment, N100m for psychological trauma, and N200m for loss of enjoyment and amenities of life.
They also demanded N10m monthly from December 2025 to 2042 as loss of earnings, N4.4m as refund of hospital bills, and N20m as legal costs against the hospital and its Medical Director and Proprietor, Dr Rabiu Funsho.
The lawyers proposed a settlement meeting through Alternative Dispute Resolution, warning that failure to respond could lead to a lawsuit.
Reacting to the allegations, R-Jolad Hospital said the matter was under internal review.
In an email response signed by the hospital’s Customer Service Officer, Ayomide Olayiwola, the facility said it had escalated the complaint for investigation.
“The hospital treats all complaints and allegations relating to patient care with the utmost seriousness,” the statement said.
It added that patient confidentiality laws prevented it from discussing specific medical details.
“Pursuant to extant laws, we are bound by strict legal and ethical obligations of confidentiality and patient privacy. These obligations prohibit the disclosure of any patient-related information to third parties or the media,” the hospital said.
The hospital stated that all petitions were subjected to clinical audits, professional reviews and management oversight.
“In this regard, the matter referenced is currently under review,” the statement added.
