Award-winning Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has accused the management of a Lagos-based private hospital, Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, of attempting to conceal the circumstances surrounding the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege, following a medical procedure earlier this year.
The celebrated novelist made the allegation in a strongly worded letter addressed to the Chairman of the hospital’s Board of Directors and subsequently published on Saturday on her Facebook page, saying she chose to make the matter public because, in her words, “to keep silent about Euracare’s evil is to enable it.”
The letter, dated April 16, 2026, provides a detailed account of the events following the death of Nkanu, one of her twin sons, who passed away on January 7 after complications allegedly arising from sedation administered during medical tests at the hospital.
According to Adichie, the Medical Director of Euracare, Dr. Tosin Majekodunmi, visited her family at their Ikoyi residence a day after the tragedy and acknowledged that the anaesthesiologist involved in the procedure, Dr. Titus Ogundare, failed to meet the required standard of care.
She alleged that Majekodunmi admitted that the child had been administered an excessive dose of propofol, a sedative commonly used during medical procedures, and accepted responsibility for what transpired.
Recalling the encounter, Adichie stated that the medical director’s remarks came shortly after she witnessed him rushing into the catheterisation laboratory where her son was undergoing treatment.
According to her, he assured the family that disciplinary action would be taken against the doctor involved and indicated that the hospital would dismiss the anaesthesiologist. She, however, claimed that communication from the medical director abruptly ceased thereafter, alleging that Euracare’s management subsequently took control of the matter.
The controversy surrounding the case deepened following disciplinary action by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), which suspended Dr. Ogundare, Dr. Majekodunmi and the Chief Medical Officer of Atlantis Pediatric Hospital, Dr. Atinuke Uwajeh, pending the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings.
Adichie further alleged that Euracare inaccurately listed bacterial and fungal meningitis as the cause of death on her son’s death certificate, insisting that there was no medical basis for such a conclusion.
She maintained that Nkanu was conscious, responsive, and interacting normally when he arrived at the hospital for diagnostic tests, adding that his condition deteriorated only after the administration of sedation for an MRI procedure.
According to her, the death certificate should reflect what she described as the actual chain of events, leading to the child’s death, including improper sedation, hypoxic brain injury, and cardiac arrest.
The renowned writer also alleged that a senior figure linked to the hospital’s ownership sent a message through a relative, cautioning her against pursuing legal action and suggesting that damaging allegations could emerge in any court proceedings.
She described the communication as both manipulative and implicitly threatening, insisting that neither she nor her family would be deterred in their pursuit of justice.
“They can drag all they wish in the mud, but our quest for justice will continue,” she stated.
Adichie also questioned the hospital’s conduct regarding the ongoing coroner’s inquest into the death, noting that Euracare had initially requested the inquest in January amid public concerns over possible medical negligence.
She accused the hospital of subsequently adopting tactics aimed at delaying proceedings and frustrating efforts to establish the facts surrounding the incident.
According to her, the family’s attempts to obtain Nkanu’s medical records were met with resistance, despite what she described as their clear legal entitlement to access them.
Her lawyers, she said, formally requested the records after the medical director indicated that he was no longer in a position to release them. The hospital allegedly declined the request, arguing that it did not comply with unspecified legal requirements.
Adichie described the response as both incorrect and obstructive, questioning why a hospital genuinely interested in uncovering the truth would seek to impede access to relevant medical records or oppose an independent inquiry.
The legal battle over the matter has since moved to the courts.
On May 26, the Lagos State High Court granted Euracare leave to challenge the Coroner’s Court’s jurisdiction and ordered a stay of proceedings, pending the determination of a judicial review application filed by the hospital.
Following the ruling, the Coroner’s Court adjourned further proceedings in the matter until October 8, 2026.
However, the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), alongside the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, has filed a preliminary objection urging the High Court to dismiss Euracare’s application. The officials reportedly argued that the suit is incompetent, premature and constitutes an abuse of court process.
As of the time of filing this report, Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital had yet to issue an official response to the allegations contained in Adichie’s public statement.
The case has continued to attract widespread public attention, with many Nigerians closely following developments as the family presses for answers over the circumstances surrounding the death of the young child.
Festus Akanbi
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