Adichie demands accountability as Lagos probes alleged negligence in son’s death

Renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has accused a Lagos-based private hospital, Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, of medical negligence and serious professional misconduct following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege.

The allegations, which have sparked widespread public concern, have also prompted the Lagos State Government to order an official investigation into the circumstances surrounding the toddler’s death.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu directed the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) to probe claims that lapsed in medical care contributed to the tragedy.

In a legal notice dated January 10, 2026, lawyers representing Adichie and her partner, Dr. Ivara Esege, alleged that Euracare, its anaesthesiologist, and other attending medical personnel failed in their duty of care to the child, who died in the early hours of January 7.

According to the notice, the child, born on March 25, 2024, was referred to Euracare on January 6 from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital for specialised diagnostic and preparatory procedures ahead of an urgent medical evacuation to the United States.

A specialist medical team was reportedly on standby abroad to continue his treatment.

The procedures planned at Euracare included an echocardiogram, a brain MRI scan, insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line), and a lumbar puncture.

The parents’ legal representatives stated that intravenous sedation was administered using propofol.

However, the notice alleged that the child developed sudden and severe complications while being transported to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory after undergoing the MRI.

The parents claimed that despite being deeply sedated, the toddler was moved between clinical areas under conditions that raised grave concerns about adherence to basic patient safety standards.

He was later pronounced dead in the early hours of January 7.

The legal notice, issued “without prejudice” to the parents’ rights and signed by the law firm led by Professor Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, outlined multiple alleged failures in paediatric anaesthetic and procedural care.

Among the concerns raised were the suitability and cumulative dosage of propofol administered to a critically ill child, inadequate airway protection during deep sedation, and the absence of continuous physiological monitoring.

The parents further alleged that their son was transferred without supplemental oxygen, without proper monitoring equipment, and without adequate medical personnel to respond to an emergency.

They also questioned whether basic resuscitation tools were readily available and accused the hospital of delayed recognition and poor management of respiratory or cardiovascular distress.

Another major grievance cited was the alleged failure of the hospital to fully explain the risks associated with propofol and other anaesthetic agents, which the parents said undermined their ability to give informed consent for the procedures.

According to the solicitors, the cumulative effect of these alleged lapses amounts to clear breaches of the duty of care owed to the child and exposes the hospital and involved medical professionals to liability for medical negligence resulting in death.

As part of their next legal steps, the parents demanded certified copies of all medical records relating to their son’s treatment within seven days.

These include admission notes, consent forms, pre-anaesthetic assessments, anaesthetic charts, drug administration records, monitoring logs, procedural notes, nursing observations, intensive care records, and incident reports, as well as the identities of all personnel involved.

They also requested internal reviews, safety logs from the MRI suite, and any other documentation connected to the child’s care.

Euracare was formally instructed to preserve all relevant physical and electronic evidence, including CCTV footage, monitoring data, pharmacy and drug inventory records, emergency equipment logs, internal communications, and any morbidity and mortality reviews.

The solicitors warned that any destruction, alteration, or loss of evidence after receipt of the notice would be regarded as suppression of evidence and obstruction of justice, with serious legal consequences.

They further stated that failure to comply with the demands would compel the parents to pursue all available legal, regulatory, and judicial remedies.

Meanwhile, the deceased child’s aunt, Dr. Anthea Nwandu, has challenged Euracare’s statement issued on January 10, in which the hospital questioned the accuracy of the family’s account.

Nwandu, a dual board-certified internal medicine physician with three decades of clinical experience in Nigeria and the United States, described the hospital’s response as misleading.

In a detailed rebuttal released on Sunday, she questioned Euracare’s claim that there were inaccuracies in the family’s account, asking the hospital to clearly identify what those inaccuracies were.

She alleged that the hospital’s version of events contained “significant falsehoods” and contrasted its claims with what she described as documented facts.

Nwandu disputed Euracare’s assertion that the child had received care at two paediatric centres prior to admission, stating that he had been treated at only one hospital before being referred for procedures.

She also challenged the hospital’s claim that it adhered to international clinical standards.

According to her, international best practices require continuous oxygen therapy and monitoring for a child on oxygen who is sedated, standards she said were not met.

She further alleged that the child was not continuously monitored for oxygen saturation, pulse, or respiration, and was transferred within the hospital without essential resuscitation equipment such as an ambu bag.

Adichie herself has accused the anaesthesiologist involved of what she described as “criminal negligence,” alleging that established protocols were ignored and that the handling of her son’s care was fatally careless.

As investigations by the Lagos State Government and regulatory bodies begin, the case has ignited renewed debate about patient safety, medical accountability, and oversight of private healthcare facilities in Nigeria.