Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, have formally accused Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Lagos, of medical negligence following the death of their 21-month-old son, Nkanu Adichie-Esege.
In a legal notice dated January 10, 2026, issued by Pinheiro LP, a law firm led by Prof. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), the couple alleged breaches of the duty of care by the hospital, its anaesthesiologist, and other medical personnel involved in their son’s treatment. The notice was addressed to the hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Tosin Majekodunmi.
According to the notice, the child, born on March 25, 2024, was referred to Euracare on January 6, 2026, from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital for diagnostic and preparatory procedures ahead of a planned medical evacuation to the United States, where a specialist team at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, was reportedly on standby.
The procedures listed included an echocardiogram, brain MRI, peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line placement, and a lumbar puncture. The child was sedated with propofol, the lawyers said.
The notice stated that during transfer from the MRI suite to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory, the child developed sudden complications. He was later pronounced dead in the early hours of January 7, 2026.
In statements made after the incident, the Adichie family alleged that the child was given excessive sedation, denied oxygen, and transported without proper monitoring, claims supported publicly by the child’s aunt and family doctor, Dr Anthea Nwandu, who said the hospital’s medical director told the family the boy had received “too much sedation.”
Euracare Hospital expressed “deepest sympathies” but denied improper care, stating that the child arrived “critically ill” and was treated in line with international standards, while announcing an internal investigation.
The lawyers said a preliminary review of the circumstances raised “serious and substantive concerns” when measured against accepted standards of paediatric anaesthetic and procedural care. They cited issues including the appropriateness and cumulative dosing of propofol, inadequate airway protection, lack of continuous monitoring, transfer without supplemental oxygen, and insufficient accompanying medical personnel.
The notice also raised concerns about delayed recognition and management of respiratory or cardiovascular distress, the availability of resuscitation equipment, and an alleged failure to properly disclose the risks of anaesthetic agents, which the lawyers said undermined informed consent.
“These matters disclose prima facie breaches of the duty of care owed to the deceased child,” the letter stated, adding that the hospital and the medical personnel involved were liable for medical negligence resulting in death.
As part of their next steps, Adichie and Esege demanded that the hospital provide certified copies of all medical records relating to their son’s care within seven days. The requested documents include admission notes, consent forms, pre-anaesthetic assessments, anaesthetic and drug charts, monitoring logs, procedural notes, nursing and ICU records, incident reports, and the identities of all staff involved.
The hospital was also placed on formal notice to preserve all relevant evidence, including CCTV footage, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy and drug inventory records, emergency equipment logs, internal communications, and any morbidity and mortality reviews.
The lawyers warned that any destruction or alteration of evidence after receipt of the notice would be treated as suppression of evidence and obstruction of justice, with legal consequences.
They added that failure to comply within the stipulated period would leave their clients with “no option but to pursue all available legal, regulatory, and judicial remedies” against the hospital and the medical personnel involved. The notice was issued “without prejudice” to the parents’ rights and claims.
The Lagos State Government confirmed that its health watchdog had begun an independent probe and that the anaesthesiologist involved had been suspended, with Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, saying any person or institution found culpable would face “the full weight of the law.”
