Chimamanda’s son: Aunt challenges Euracare’s account of death

Fresh controversy has emerged over the death of Nkanu Nnamdi Esege, the 21-month-old son of renowned Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, as the child’s aunt, Dr...

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Published 11 Jan 2026

By Suliyat Tella

Renowned Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,

Fresh controversy has emerged over the death of Nkanu Nnamdi Esege, the 21-month-old son of renowned Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, as the child’s aunt, Dr Anthea Esege Nwandu, publicly challenged key claims made by Euracare Multispecialist Hospital.

Dr Nwandu, who is a United States-based physician, described Euracare’s statement on the incident as containing “significant inaccuracies” and accused the hospital of failing to meet internationally accepted medical standards during the child’s care.

Euracare, in a statement issued on Saturday, January 10, expressed sympathy with the family but said some circulating reports were inaccurate.

The hospital stated that the child had received care at two paediatric centres before being referred to its Victoria Island facility for diagnostic procedures and that its medical team acted in line with established clinical protocols.

However, in a detailed rebuttal, Dr Nwandu disputed several aspects of the hospital’s account.

“Euracare claims that my nephew received care at two paediatric centres. This is false,” she said. “He was in one hospital before coming to Euracare specifically for procedures.”

Dr Nwandu also questioned the hospital’s assertion that it followed international medical standards while administering sedation to the child.

According to her, such standards require continuous oxygen supply and constant monitoring of oxygen levels, pulse, and respiration when a child on oxygen is sedated.

“Did Euracare do this? No,” she stated, adding that hospital staff verbally confirmed the absence of continuous monitoring when she visited to question them.

She further alleged that during the child’s movement within the hospital, he was not accompanied by basic resuscitative equipment, such as an ambu bag, which is standard practice in case a patient stops breathing under anaesthesia.

Dr Nwandu also raised concerns about how the child was physically handled after sedation.

She claimed that the anaesthesiologist carried the child on his shoulder without monitoring equipment and insisted on being alone with him in an elevator.

“Is it international standard for an anaesthesiologist to carry a sedated child on his shoulder, unable to visually see the child, with no monitoring? No,” she said.

She further alleged that while transferring the child to the intensive care unit, the anaesthesiologist disconnected his oxygen supply and again carried him on his shoulder, describing the act as unsafe and contrary to accepted medical practice.

Dr Nwandu argued that because there was no monitoring, it would be impossible to accurately determine when the child stopped breathing or how long he was without a pulse before resuscitation efforts began.

She maintained that prior to the incident at Euracare, the child was medically stable and had been booked for a scheduled medical evacuation flight to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, United States, where a specialist team was awaiting his arrival.

Dr Nwandu is dual board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, and holds a Master of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Euracare has said it has commenced an internal investigation in line with its clinical governance standards and remains committed to engaging with regulatory authorities. The hospital also said it would continue to support the grieving family while allowing due process to take its course.

Guardian Life