Sergeant Dies After Nigerian Army Hospital Allegedly Denies Him Brain Scan Over Unpaid Fee, Soldiers Petition Chiefs
Serving Nigerian Army personnel have petitioned the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff and Minister of Defence over alleged unauthorised charges for essential medical services at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, accusing its Chief Medical Director, Brigadier General G.S. Ogoh, of imposing financial burdens on soldiers and their families.Nigerian news analysis
General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede serves as the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu is the Chief of Army Staff, while General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd) is the Minister of Defence.
The petitioners also alleged that a soldier, identified as Sergeant Patrick Yewah, died after he was unable to undergo a brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan requested by doctors because he could not afford the payment allegedly demanded for the procedure.
The soldiers, in separate petitions dated October 2026 and signed by Captain A.N. Njoku on behalf of concerned personnel, called for an independent investigation into the hospital’s medical billing arrangements, the circumstances surrounding Yewah’s death and the conduct of an earlier investigation ordered by Army authorities.
A radiological investigations price list bearing the heading “Nigerian Army Radio-Diagnostic Centre, 44 NARHK” and presented to SaharaReporters shows charges for several procedures, including MRI and Computed Tomography (CT) scans.
The document contains columns for “Current Prices (Self Pay)” and “Amount to Pay (50% NHIS)”. It lists the price of a 1.5 Tesla MRI scan at ₦100,000, with ₦50,000 payable under the 50 per cent NHIS column. An MRI scan using a 0.35 Tesla machine is listed at ₦70,000, with ₦35,000 payable.
The price list also puts CT scans of the brain, spine, sinuses and extremities at ₦50,000, with ₦30,000 listed as the amount payable under the NHIS column. CT scans of the abdomen and chest are listed at ₦60,000 each, with ₦30,000 payable, while CT colonoscopy costs ₦70,000, with ₦30,000 listed as the amount payable.
Other procedures on the list include intravenous urography, retrograde cysto-urethrography, barium meal, barium swallow, hysterosalpingography and mammography. The document lists some ultrasound procedures, including pelvic, abdominal, abdominopelvic and obstetric scans, as 100 per cent covered under the NHIS column.
The price list appears to provide documentary context for the soldiers’ allegations that personnel are being asked to make out-of-pocket payments for medical investigations previously covered under the military’s healthcare arrangement. However, the document alone does not establish whether the charges were authorised or whether the listed amounts were demanded from Yewah before his death.
According to the petitions, medical services for serving personnel and their families had for decades been covered under the Defence Health Maintenance Limited (DHML) arrangement, allowing soldiers, one wife and up to four children to access covered healthcare services without direct payments, subject to applicable provisions.
The petitioners alleged that the situation changed after Brigadier General Ogoh assumed command of the hospital, with personnel and their dependants allegedly being required to pay directly for services including MRI scans, CT scans, Caesarean sections and delivery packs for pregnant women.
They described the reported charges as excessive and unauthorised, arguing that they have placed additional financial pressure on military families who depend on the hospital for healthcare.
One of the most disturbing allegations concerns the death of Sergeant Yewah, hospital number 97NA/44/4322, who was reportedly admitted to the hospital’s Accident and Emergency section.
The petitioners said doctors requested a brain MRI scan as part of the investigation and management of his medical condition, but the procedure was allegedly not conducted because he could not afford the required payment.
They alleged that Brigadier General Ogoh refused to allow the scan because the soldier could not pay.
The petitioners further claimed that fellow soldiers and members of the barracks community eventually began contributing money to assist Yewah, but that the intervention came too late and he subsequently died.
They called for an independent medical investigation to establish the treatment he received, the circumstances surrounding the MRI request, the applicable DHML coverage and whether the inability to access the scan contributed to his death.
The petition to the Minister of Defence stated: “We respectfully request an independent and thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding his treatment, the medical decisions taken, the request for the MRI, the applicable DHML coverage at the time, the payment requirements imposed, and whether any delay or inability to access the investigation contributed in any way to his death.”
The soldiers also alleged that personnel had recently been required to pay ₦50,000 for certain MRI and CT scan services at the hospital.
In a list attached to the petition to the Chief of Defence Staff, the petitioners identified personnel they claimed had paid for medical investigations, including a corporal, Muhammad Suleiman, and a colonel identified as F.F. Uko, both reportedly charged ₦50,000 for MRI scans.
Two other personnel, whose names were not provided in the document, were also listed as having paid ₦50,000 for MRI and CT scan services, respectively.
The petitioners asked military authorities to verify the payments and compare the charges with approved DHML/NHIS tariffs and applicable healthcare guidelines.
The soldiers also raised concerns about the availability and supply of medicines at the hospital.
According to the petition, drugs allegedly unavailable at the NHIS pharmacy were being sold at another pharmacy identified as DRS Pharmacy, which the petitioners claimed was owned by Brigadier General Ogoh.
They alleged that medicines costing about ₦2,000 or less were sometimes declared unavailable at the NHIS pharmacy but could be purchased at the other pharmacy.
The petitioners further claimed that some medicines available through the NHIS pharmacy were cheap, substandard or fake.
These allegations have not been independently established by SaharaReporters. The soldiers called on military authorities to investigate the hospital’s drug procurement, dispensing and billing arrangements.
The controversy appears to have been brought to the attention of the Army leadership before the latest petitions.
In a separate letter to the Chief of Army Staff, the petitioners acknowledged that the military had responded to an earlier complaint dated August 17, 2026, and sent an investigative team to examine the allegations.
However, they accused the team of conducting an inadequate investigation, arguing that its members visited the hospital openly instead of carrying out discreet and independent fact-finding among patients, personnel and their families.
They claimed that the investigators’ presence and purpose became known at the hospital, creating an opportunity for relevant information to be concealed before the team could establish what was happening.
The petitioners said the investigators should have spent at least one week visiting the hospital and barracks without prior notice and speaking directly with affected personnel and family members.
They also questioned the team’s handling of the circumstances surrounding Yewah’s death.
According to the petition, the investigators visited Block 6, where the late sergeant lived, but allegedly relied heavily on information provided by a Staff Sergeant identified as Edmond instead of directly interviewing the block’s non-commissioned officers, wives and other residents familiar with Yewah’s condition.
The petitioners further alleged that after the investigators left, Edmond convened a meeting of Block 6 residents and appealed to them not to expose Brigadier General Ogoh.
They claimed he told residents that certain matters needed to be concealed and reportedly urged them to forgive the hospital commander.
The soldiers said the alleged meeting raised concerns about possible attempts to influence witnesses and suppress information relevant to the investigation.
They also claimed that the investigative team examined Yewah’s medical folder and discovered that the brain MRI requested by his doctors had not been performed before his death.
The petitioners argued that the failure to conduct the scan required further investigation, particularly to establish whether the reported payment policy prevented the soldier from accessing the procedure.
The soldiers also alleged that Brigadier General Ogoh enjoyed protection from influential officials at Army Headquarters, specifically referring to the Chief of Administration.
They further claimed that financial inducements had allegedly been offered in connection with the earlier investigation to weaken or compromise its outcome.
However, they said they could not independently establish these claims and called for an impartial investigation.
The petition also quoted an alleged statement attributed to Ogoh after the investigation.
According to the petitioners, the hospital commander was reportedly heard saying: “I have gone to Abuja to defend myself and nothing can happen.”
They asked Army authorities to examine the alleged statement as part of any fresh investigation.
The petitioners further questioned whether the DHML/NHIS monthly capitation previously received by the hospital had been stopped, reduced, suspended or altered.
They demanded an explanation if any changes had been made, arguing that the Army should clarify what had changed in the healthcare arrangement and why personnel were now reportedly being required to pay for services they previously accessed under the existing medical coverage.
Among other demands, the petitioners asked the Chief of Army Staff and other military authorities to immediately review the reported out-of-pocket payment arrangements at the hospital and reverse any charges found to be inconsistent with approved DHML/NHIS policies.
They also demanded a comprehensive review of medical billing, approved tariffs, exemptions and procedures for accessing MRI scans, CT scans, Caesarean sections, delivery packs and other essential services.
They urged the military authorities to conduct a fresh investigation into Yewah’s death, the alleged failure to carry out his brain MRI and the conduct of the earlier investigative team.
The petitioners further requested the redeployment of Brigadier General Ogoh, subject to applicable administrative and service procedures, if the investigation established leadership or administrative failures.
They said: “Our intention is not to witch-hunt any individual, but to ensure that the welfare of personnel and their families is protected, that military healthcare policies are implemented transparently, and that every personnel and dependent receives the medical care to which they are entitled.”
The petitions were addressed to the Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff, with copies distributed to other military and government offices, including the Presidency and relevant Army medical authorities.
Attempts by SaharaReporters to reach the Army spokesperson, Col. Onyechi Appolonia Anele, for comments on the allegations proved unsuccessful, as she did not answer her phone calls or respond to a message sent to her.
