Adichie Slams Euracare with Legal Notice over Son’s Death as Lagos Orders Probe

Renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has issued a formal legal notice to Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Lagos, alleging medical negligence and professional misconduct in the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege.
The move comes amid growing public concern over the incident, prompting Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to order an official investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
In a legal notice dated January 10, 2026, issued by a law firm led by Professor Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, Adichie and her partner, Dr. Ivara Esege, accused the hospital, its anaesthesiologist and other attending medical personnel of breaching the duty of care owed to their son, who died in the early hours of January 7, 2026.
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 an emergency medical evacuation to the United States, where a specialist medical team was reportedly on standby.
The procedures carried out at Euracare allegedly included an echocardiogram, a brain MRI, insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line) and a lumbar puncture, during which intravenous sedation with propofol was administered.
The parents alleged that the child developed sudden and severe complications while being transported to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory after the MRI. They claimed that, despite being under sedation, the child was moved between clinical areas under conditions that raised serious concerns about adherence to patient safety and paediatric anaesthesia protocols.
The legal notice listed several alleged lapses, including concerns over cumulative dosing of propofol in a critically ill child, inadequate airway protection during deep sedation, failure to ensure continuous physiological monitoring, and transfer without supplemental oxygen, adequate monitoring, or sufficient accompanying medical personnel.
Other allegations included the absence of basic resuscitation equipment, delayed recognition and management of respiratory or cardiovascular distress, and failure to comply with established paediatric anaesthesia, patient-transfer and safety standards.
The parents also accused the hospital of failing to adequately disclose the risks and potential side effects of propofol and other anaesthetic agents, thereby undermining the requirement for informed consent.
Their solicitors said the alleged lapses amounted to prima facie breaches of duty of care, rendering the hospital and involved personnel liable for medical negligence resulting in the child’s death.
As part of their demands, the parents requested certified copies of all medical records related to their son’s treatment within seven days. These include admission notes, consent forms, pre-anaesthetic assessments, anaesthetic charts, drug administration records, monitoring logs, nursing notes, ICU records, incident reports and details of all medical staff involved.
They also demanded internal reviews, safety logs from the MRI suite, and all documentation connected to the child’s care. Euracare was formally instructed to preserve all physical and electronic evidence, including CCTV footage, monitoring data, pharmacy records, emergency equipment logs, internal communications and morbidity and mortality reviews.
The legal team warned that any destruction or alteration of evidence after receipt of the notice would be treated as obstruction of justice and could attract legal consequences, adding that failure to comply would compel the parents to pursue all available legal and regulatory remedies.
Meanwhile, the child’s aunt, Dr. Anthea Esege Nwandu—a dual board-certified internal medicine physician with over three decades of clinical experience in Nigeria and the United States—has challenged Euracare’s public statement issued on January 10, 2026.
In a rebuttal, Nwandu disputed the hospital’s claim that there were inaccuracies in the family’s account, alleging that Euracare’s statement contained significant falsehoods. She also countered the hospital’s assertion that the child had been treated at two paediatric centres prior to admission, stating that he was seen at only one facility before referral.
She further alleged that internationally accepted medical standards were not followed, insisting that a sedated child on oxygen requires continuous oxygen therapy and monitoring of oxygen saturation, pulse and respiration. She also claimed that essential resuscitation equipment, including an ambu bag, was not provided during the child’s transfer within the hospital.
Euracare Hospital has yet to issue a further response to the detailed allegations as investigations continue.