Court Rejects Euracare’s Bid to Stop Inquest Into Death of Chimamanda Adichie’s Son

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Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s efforts to find out what led to the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege, have been legally cleared, after a Lagos State High Court rejected Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital’s attempt to stop the investigation into his death. 

Justice Aishat Opesanwo ruled on Monday, October 12, 2026, that the absence of Nkanu’s remains following his cremation did not prevent the coroner from proceeding with the inquest. The hospital asked the court to halt the investigation, arguing that proceeding without the possibility of a post-mortem examination could lead to speculative conclusions. The judge dismissed the application, allowing the inquiry into the toddler’s death to proceed.

Nkanu died on January 7, 2026, at Euracare in Lagos, a day before he was scheduled to be medically evacuated to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, United States. His death followed a series of medical procedures at Euracare, where he had been referred from Atlantis Paediatric Hospital for diagnostic tests, including an echocardiogram and a brain MRI. Chimamanda publicly accused Euracare of medical negligence in a message to family and friends that circulated on social media after her son’s death. Her team confirmed the authenticity of the messages, in which she alleged that an anaesthesiologist had administered an excessive dose of propofol, a sedative, during the procedures. According to her account, a doctor had told her that an overdose had been administered. Nkanu suffered cardiac arrest despite resuscitation efforts and being placed on a ventilator.

In the days following his death, Chimamanda and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, demanded that Euracare release Nkanu’s complete medical records and preserve relevant evidence, including CCTV footage and electronic monitoring data. A legal notice dated January 10, issued through their lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro, alleged breaches of the hospital’s duty of care during the child’s admission. Euracare denied that medical negligence caused Nkanu’s death. In its response, the hospital said its medical personnel had provided care in accordance with established clinical protocols and internationally accepted medical standards, adding that the toddler was critically ill when he arrived. 

The Lagos State Government ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Nkanu’s death in January. A coroner’s inquest subsequently began in February, but proceedings were interrupted after Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, the company operating Euracare, obtained a court order staying the inquiry while it challenged the proceedings.

The hospital’s legal challenge centred on the coroner’s authority to continue without Nkanu’s body and the proposed order in which witnesses would present evidence. Its lawyer, Taiwo Osipitan, argued that requiring medical personnel to testify before other parties presented their cases infringed the hospital’s constitutional right to a fair hearing.

Chimamanda and her husband opposed the application. At a hearing on September 28, their lawyer argued that the hospital had approached the court prematurely because the coroner had not made a substantive decision that warranted judicial review. The Lagos State Government also opposed the hospital’s attempt to stop the proceedings.

In rejecting the application, Justice Opesanwo relied on the Lagos State Coroner’s System Law 2007, including Section 15(2), and held that the absence of the body did not strip the coroner of jurisdiction. She explained that an inquest is a fact-finding process intended to establish the circumstances of a death, rather than a criminal or civil trial in which liability is determined. The judge also held that the coroner had discretion over the order in which evidence could be received.

The High Court’s decision comes after separate disciplinary proceedings over the medical care Nkanu received. On March 3, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria announced the short suspension of three doctors after its investigation panel found a case of medical negligence against them. They were Tosin Majekodunmi, medical director of Euracare; Titus Ogundare, an anaesthesiologist at the hospital; and Atinuke Uwajeh, chief medical officer of Atlantis Paediatric Hospital. The panel also found professional misconduct on the part of 10 other practitioners at Atlantis Paediatric Hospital. The cases were referred to the Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal for formal proceedings. The council stressed that its findings were preliminary and did not constitute a final determination of liability. With Euracare’s application rejected, the legal challenge that delayed the inquest has been dismissed. 

The inquiry can now continue examining the events surrounding Nkanu’s treatment and death, while the allegations against the hospital and the outcome of the separate disciplinary proceedings remain unresolved.