Lagos State Probes Euracare Hospital Over Chimamanda Adichie Son’s Death

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Summary: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, have served a legal notice on Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos, alleging medical negligence in the death of their 21-month-old son and demanding the release of his medical records. Euracare has denied the allegations, while the Lagos State Government has ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.

Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, have served a legal notice on Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos, according to a report by ARISE TV on Jan. 12, 2026. The couple alleges medical negligence and breaches of professional duty in connection with the death of their 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege. 

In the four-page legal notice dated Jan 10, 2026, the family accused the hospital, an anesthesiologist, and other attending medical personnel of failing to follow basic safety and monitoring protocols during medical procedures carried out between Jan 6 and Jan 7, shortly before the child’s death.

The family said Nkanu had been admitted to Atlantis Hospital after developing a serious infection and was scheduled to travel to the United States on Jan.  7, accompanied by travelling doctors, with a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore prepared to receive him. 

According to the family, the Hopkins team requested a lumbar puncture and a brain MRI ahead of his arrival, while Nigerian doctors also decided to insert a central line to administer intravenous medication in preparation for the flight. “He was to travel to the US the next day, January 7th, accompanied by travelling doctors, and a team at Johns Hopkins was waiting to receive him in Baltimore,” the family stated.

Atlantis Hospital reportedly referred the family to Euracare Hospital, which was described as the most suitable facility to conduct the procedures. On the morning of Jan 6, the family said Nkanu was taken to Euracare in his father’s arms, where doctors informed them he would need to be sedated to prevent movement during the procedures.

The legal notice and the family’s account alleged that after being sedated with propofol, Nkanu was not continuously monitored and was later intubated and placed in the intensive care unit. The family said they were subsequently informed that the child had developed seizures and suffered cardiac arrest complications they stated had never occurred before. Nkanu died a few hours later.

The family further stated that the anesthesiologist carried the child on his shoulder to the theatre, making it impossible to determine when Nkanu became unresponsive, and later switched off the child’s oxygen before again carrying him to the ICU after the central line procedure. They accused the anesthesiologist of gross violations of standard medical protocols.

In the notice, the family described the anesthesiologist’s conduct as criminally negligent, saying he acted with a fatal level of carelessness toward their child. They said Nkanu had been unwell but stable before the procedures and was expected to travel the following day. 

“We brought in a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day. We came to conduct basic procedures, and suddenly our beautiful little boy was gone forever,” the family said.

As part of their demands, Chimamanda and Esege gave Euracare Hospital seven days to release certified copies of all medical records relating to their son’s care, including consent forms, anaesthetic records, drug charts, monitoring logs and the names of all medical personnel involved. They also instructed the hospital to preserve all physical and electronic evidence connected to the case.

Following public attention on the allegations, the Lagos State Government ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death, stating that the probe would examine claims of medical negligence and assess compliance with patient safety regulations.

Euracare Hospital has expressed condolences to the family but denied allegations of negligence, stating that the child was critically ill at presentation and that care was provided in line with accepted medical standards. “At no time did Euracare or its staff act outside established clinical protocols,” the hospital said, adding that it would cooperate fully with investigations by relevant authorities.