Chimamanda Serves Legal Notice over Son’s Death, Sanwo-Olu Orders Probe

*Author demands certified copies of all medical records

*Nwandu addresses alleged inconsistencies in Euracare’s statement

Wale Igbintade and Sunday Okobi

Renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie, has demanded accountability from Euracare, a private hospital in Lagos, accusing it of medical negligence and professional impropriety. This followed the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, after a series of medical procedures.

Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also ordered a probe into the alleged medical negligence that reportedly led to the death of Master Nkanu. The probe followed public concern caused by the tragedy.In a detailed legal notice dated January 10, 2026, solicitors acting for Adichie and her partner, Dr. Ivara Esege, alleged that the hospital, its anaesthesiologist, and other attending medical personnel breached the duty of care owed to their son, Master Nkanu Adichie-Esege, who died in the early hours of January 7, 2026.

According to the notice, the child, born on March 25, 2024, was referred to the hospital on January 6, 2026, from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital for diagnostic and preparatory procedures ahead of an imminent medical evacuation to the United States, where a specialist medical team was reportedly on standby.The procedures included an echocardiogram, a brain MRI, a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line), and a lumbar puncture. Intravenous sedation was said to have been administered using propofol.However, the notice alleged that during transportation to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory after the MRI, the child developed sudden and severe complications.

Despite being under sedation, he was reportedly transferred between clinical areas under conditions that raised “serious and substantive concerns” about compliance with patient-safety protocols.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 lapses in paediatric anaesthetic and procedural care. These included concerns about the appropriateness and cumulative dosing of propofol in a critically ill child, inadequate airway protection during deep sedation, and failure to ensure continuous physiological monitoring.

The parents further alleged that their son was transferred without supplemental oxygen, without adequate monitoring, and without sufficient accompanying medical personnel.They also raised concerns about the availability of basic resuscitation equipment, delayed recognition and management of respiratory or cardiovascular compromise, and an overall failure to comply with established paediatric anaesthesia, patient-transfer, and safety protocols.

Another key grievance cited was the alleged failure of the hospital to adequately disclose the risks and potential side effects of propofol and other anaesthetic agents, thereby undermining the legal requirement for informed consent.According to the solicitors, these alleged lapses amount to prima facie breaches of the duty of care and render the hospital and the medical personnel involved liable for medical negligence resulting in the child’s 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 of receipt of the notice.

The requested documents included admission notes, consent forms, pre-anaesthetic assessments, anaesthetic charts, drug administration records, monitoring logs, procedural notes, nursing observations, ICU records, incident reports, and the identities of all medical staff involved.The demand also covered internal reviews, safety logs from the MRI suite, and any other documentation connected to the child’s care.

The hospital was placed on formal notice to preserve all relevant evidence, whether physical or electronic. These included CCTV footage from procedure rooms and corridors, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy and drug inventory records, crash-cart and 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 treated as suppression of evidence and obstruction of justice, with attendant legal consequences.

The letter warned that failure to comply with the demands within the stipulated timeframe would leave the parents with no option but to pursue all available legal, regulatory, and judicial remedies against the hospital and all medical personnel involved.

Sanwo-Olu orders probe into Chimamanda Adichie’s Son’s death

Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, ordered a probe into the alleged medical negligence that reportedly led to the death of Master Nkanu.Sanwo-Olu gave the directive through the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), following public concern generated by Ms. Adichie’s account of the tragic incident, which occurred on January 7.In a press statement by Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, Sanwo-Olu expressed deep condolences to the grieving family, describing the loss of a child as “a profound tragedy”.The statement read, “On behalf of the Government and people of Lagos State, we commiserate sincerely with Ms. Chimamanda Adichie and her family over this painful and irreparable loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this extremely difficult time.”

The government reaffirmed its zero tolerance for medical negligence and unprofessional conduct in any health facility operating within the state.“Lagos State Government places the highest value on human life and maintains zero tolerance for medical negligence or unprofessional conduct in any health facility operating within the State,” the statement added.Ogunyemi said HEFAMAA had already commenced investigation into the matter and had visited the facility involved.She stated, “The governor has directed HEFAMAA to immediately commence a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, with a view to unravelling the immediate and remote causes of the death.”

Ogunyemi explained that the investigation would involve a detailed review of clinical protocols, professional conduct, patient safety standards, and the responsibilities of all parties connected to the case.She said HEFAMAA would also collaborate with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and other regulatory bodies to ensure credibility and professionalism in the process.“The agency will work in close collaboration with the MDCN and other relevant regulatory bodies to ensure a holistic, credible, and professional review process,” she stated.The government assured Lagos residents that the findings of the investigation would be made public.Ogunyemi said, “Findings of the investigation will be made public as soon as the process is concluded, in the interest of transparency and public accountability.”

She warned that any health facility or professional found culpable would face the full weight of the law.“Any individual or institution found culpable of negligence, professional misconduct, or regulatory violations will face the full wrath of the law, in accordance with existing legal and regulatory frameworks,” the statement declared.While urging the public to remain calm and avoid speculation, the statement said,  “Lagos State remains committed to continuously strengthening oversight of medical practice to prevent the recurrence of such tragic incidents.”The government assured Adichie and her family that justice and due process will not be compromised.

Nwandu Addresses Alleged Inconsistencies in Euracare’s Statement

Dr. Anthea Esege Nwandu, the deceased child’s aunt, debunked Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital’s statement released on January 10, 2026.Nwandu is a dual board-certified Internal Medicine physician with 30 years of global clinical experience in Nigeria and the United States.The renowned Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who recently lost her 21-month-old twin son, Nkanu Nnamdi Esege, after a brief illness, blamed his demise on the alleged negligence of Euracare Specialist Hospital.She alleged, “The anesthesiologist was criminally negligent. He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child. No proper protocol was followed.”

The Euracare statement related to the circumstances of the child’s passing, which occurred at the Euracare facility.

But in her own statement, yesterday, Nwandu said, “In their press statement, Euracare claims that there are inaccuracies in the account of how my nephew passed. Which inaccuracies exactly?”

In the detailed rebuttal, Nwandu stated that she identified alleged significant falsehoods in the hospital’s statement.

She contrasted in the statement the specific claims made by Euracare with what she described as “the documented truth of the situation”.

In her statement of Claims vs Reality, Nwandu stated, “Euracare claims the child had received care at two paediatric centres. This is false. He was in one hospital before coming to Euracare for the procedures.

“Euracare claims they provided care ‘in line with established clinical protocols and internationally accepted medical standards’, but international standards demand that a child on oxygen who is given sedation must have continuous oxygen therapy. Did Euracare do this? No! They confirmed this verbally to me when I went to the hospital to question the doctors.”

She stated further that international standards demanded that the child should have had continuous monitoring of oxygen levels in his blood, “but did Euracare do this? No! International standards demand continuous monitoring of pulse and respiration. Did Euracare do this? No!

“International standards demand that when moving the child from one part of the hospital to another, the child must be accompanied by resuscitative equipment in case he stops breathing (stopping breathing is a risk of anaesthesia), and this can easily be done by a simple apparatus called an ambubag. Did Euracare do this? No.”