Court orders UCH to pay lawyer ₦1.5 million for seized car battery

A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, has ordered University College Hospital (UCH) to pay ₦1.5 million in damages and legal costs to a lawyer, Kehinde Taiwo, for what the court described as unlawful interference with his vehicle and removal of the battery by hospital security officers.

In handing down the ruling, Justice NA Maha found that the appellant had partially proved his case and was entitled to compensation for the actions of the hospital’s security staff, which the court found to be unjustified in the circumstances.

The court awarded ₦1 million as general damages for psychological and emotional distress and an additional ₦500,000 as the cost of litigation against the hospital management.

The lawsuit arose from an incident that occurred on October 25, 2021, when Taiwo drove his mother to UCH, Ibadan, and parked his Toyota Corolla in the hospital’s designated parking lot.

Court documents showed he had properly secured the vehicle, locked the doors, rolled up the windows and was issued an official parking pass by hospital security.

However, upon his return, the lawyer discovered that the car battery had been removed.

He was later directed by security staff to the hospital’s security unit, where he said he was asked to pay ₦5,000 along with another ₦100 before the battery could be released.

Taiwo told the court the incident had caused him and his mother significant hardship, emotional distress and prolonged delay.

He said the trial kept them at the hospital premises until about 6pm, after which he got caught in heavy traffic in Ibadan and did not arrive home in Abeokuta until 11pm.

He then sought ₦1 million in damages, a written apology from the hospital and ₦500,000 as the cost of litigation.

UCH, however, denied any wrongdoing. Its safety manager, Oluwatosin Aladeyelu, told the court that the battery had been removed as part of routine safety measures, claiming that the vehicle was not properly secured when it was parked.

The hospital claimed that its staff intervened to prevent the theft after allegedly discovering that a window of the vehicle was left open.

He further argued that the ₦5,000 charge was an official fine imposed on negligent vehicle owners within the facility.

After evaluating the arguments of both parties, Judge Maha found that the hospital’s conduct was not justified and found the appellant’s case partly justified.

The court, however, rejected Taiwo’s request for a written apology from the UCH management.

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