A legal dispute over an unpaid hospital bill has led to the withholding of the body of retired Nigerian Air Force officer, Air Vice Marshal Terry O. Okorodudu (Rtd), who died at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 9, 2025.
According to Daily Nation, the hospital refused to release the remains pending the settlement of an outstanding bill amounting to Sh9.8 million (₦111 million), prompting the family to seek legal intervention.
The High Court in Nairobi has now ordered the hospital to release the body for burial while the payment dispute continues.
Justice Lawrence Mugambi, in his ruling, directed that the deceased’s son, Mr. Bidemi Okorodudu, either deposit his passport with the court and remain in Kenya or pay Sh8 million as a condition for the release of the body.
The judge noted that the hospital’s concern that Mr. Okorodudu might leave the country before the case is resolved was valid.
“It is necessary to consider the apprehension by the respondent (Aga Khan) that the petitioner (Mr. Bidemi) is a Nigerian citizen who could possibly leave the jurisdiction of the court, thereby frustrating efforts by the respondent to recover the amount due,” Justice Mugambi stated.
He stressed the need to balance both parties’ rights, saying that while the family has a right to bury their loved one, the hospital also has a right to recover its dues.
The court further observed that the late officer, who was admitted to the facility on July 25, 2025, was aware that he would be responsible for his medical bills, given the hospital’s private status.
Mr. Bidemi, however, argued that the continued detention of his father’s remains over an unpaid bill was “unlawful, unconstitutional, and against public policy.”
He told the court that the family had endured “immense anguish, humiliation, and trauma” due to the hospital’s actions, stressing that the situation risked causing “serious diplomatic embarrassment to both Kenya and Nigeria.”
The family also questioned the accuracy of the bill, alleging lapses in the care provided to the retired Air Vice Marshal, which they said resulted in medical complications.
Mr. Okorodudu added that even if a debt existed, the hospital had legal means to recover its money through Kenya’s Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act, which allows cross-border enforcement of debts between Kenya and Nigeria.
With the court’s ruling, Aga Khan University Hospital is expected to release the remains of the late officer for military burial as arranged by the Nigerian government, while the dispute over the Sh9.8 million bill continues.