The family of celebrated Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is engaged in a legal dispute with Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos following the tragic passing of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi. The Lagos State Government has since confirmed the suspension of the hospital’s anaesthesiologist as investigations continue to unravel the circumstances surrounding the toddler’s death.
On January 10, 2026, legal representatives for Chimamanda and her partner, Dr. Ivara Esege, formally communicated with Euracare Hospital through a legal notice, alleging negligence on the part of the hospital and its medical personnel. The notice, signed by Professor Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), founding partner of the law firm PINHEIRO LP, accused the hospital of breaching its duty of care, which ultimately led to the death of the couple’s young son in the early hours of January 7.
According to the letter, Nkanu was transferred to Euracare on January 6 from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital to undergo several critical diagnostic and preparatory medical procedures. These included an echocardiogram, brain MRI, insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line), and a lumbar puncture. These interventions were preparatory steps ahead of a planned medical evacuation to the United States, where a specialized medical team was reportedly ready to continue his treatment.
The legal notice highlights that the child was sedated intravenously using propofol, a potent anesthetic agent. However, complications reportedly arose during his transfer to the cardiac catheterization lab immediately following the MRI. The child, despite being under sedation, is said to have suffered sudden, severe health issues.
The notice expressed serious concerns over the hospital’s handling of the transfer, pointing out that the movement of the child between clinical areas appeared to contravene patient safety protocols. Ultimately, Nkanu was pronounced dead in the early hours of January 7, 2026.
A series of alleged failings in pediatric anesthetic care and procedural protocols were detailed in the notice. These include questions about the appropriateness and cumulative dosage of propofol given to a critically ill toddler, insufficient airway protection during deep sedation, and the lack of continuous physiological monitoring.
The parents further contend that their son was moved without supplemental oxygen and without adequate monitoring or sufficient medical personnel present. There are also allegations regarding the absence or inadequacy of essential resuscitation equipment, delayed response to respiratory or cardiovascular distress, and overall non-compliance with established pediatric anesthesia and patient transfer guidelines.
Another major point raised concerns the hospital’s failure to properly inform the parents about the risks and potential side effects of propofol and other anesthetic agents. This omission allegedly undermined the legal obligation to obtain informed consent from the parents before proceeding with sedation and medical interventions.
The solicitors argue that these multiple breaches amount to clear negligence and hold the hospital and the medical team responsible for the child’s death.
As part of their next steps, the parents have demanded that Euracare provide certified copies of all medical records related to their son’s treatment within seven days of receipt of the legal notice. This includes admission and consent forms, pre-anesthetic assessments, anesthetic charts, drug administration logs, monitoring reports, procedural notes, nursing observations, ICU records, incident reports, and the identities of all medical staff involved.
The demand also extends to internal reviews, safety logs from the MRI suite, and any other documentation connected to the child’s care. The hospital has been formally instructed to preserve all evidence—physical and electronic—relevant to the case. This includes CCTV footage from the hospital’s corridors and procedure rooms, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy inventories, emergency equipment logs, internal communications, and morbidity and mortality reviews.
The legal team issued a stern warning that any destruction, alteration, or loss of evidence following the notice would be interpreted as obstruction of justice, with significant legal repercussions.
Should the hospital fail to comply with these requests, the parents intend to pursue all legal, regulatory, and judicial avenues available against the hospital and all implicated medical personnel.
In response to the tragedy, Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital issued a statement on Saturday affirming that it had launched a detailed internal investigation aligned with clinical governance standards and best practices. The hospital assured the public that it would cooperate fully with all relevant clinical and regulatory bodies throughout the ongoing investigation.
Similarly, the Lagos State Government confirmed that it had commenced its own inquiry into the incident, vowing to hold responsible parties accountable. Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Adviser on Health to the Lagos State Governor, revealed that the hospital’s anaesthesiologist had been suspended pending investigation. She noted that both the hospital’s internal probe and the government’s investigation were ongoing.D
Dr. Ogunyemi emphasized that such investigations are routine when adverse incidents occur in healthcare facilities and assured transparency in the process. She acknowledged the public sensitivity of the case, given the high-profile status of Chimamanda Adichie, and assured that expert input and established protocols would guide the inquiry.
Contrasting with the hospital’s official position, the family doctor and deceased child’s aunt, Dr. Anthea Nwandu, criticized Euracare’s handling of the incident and its public statements. Dr. Nwandu, an experienced dual board-certified Internal Medicine physician with decades of clinical practice in Nigeria and the United States, challenged the hospital’s assertion that the child had been treated at two other pediatric centers before arriving at Euracare.
She clarified that Nkanu had only been at a single hospital prior to referral to Euracare for diagnostic procedures. Moreover, Dr. Nwandu strongly disputed the hospital’s claims that standard protocols had been followed.
She explained that internationally accepted medical standards require that any child on oxygen undergoing sedation must receive continuous oxygen therapy. According to her, Euracare failed to provide this.
She also noted that continuous monitoring of blood oxygen levels (pulse oximetry), pulse, and respiratory rate are essential during sedation. Dr. Nwandu stated unequivocally that these critical monitoring steps were absent at Euracare.
Regarding patient transfer, Dr. Nwandu outlined that moving a sedated child within a hospital must be accompanied by resuscitation equipment—such as an Ambu bag—to provide immediate support if breathing stops. She claimed this was not done during Nkanu’s transfer.
She further described how the anaesthesiologist reportedly carried the child on his shoulder without visual contact or monitoring, including in the elevator and during the transfer to the ICU, which she said was a clear violation of medical standards.
At the time of the incident, Nkanu was reportedly medically stable and had been scheduled for a medical evacuation flight to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, United States, to receive specialist care. The tragic events unfolded just before this transfer could take place.
Following the child’s death, Chimamanda Adichie publicly accused Euracare Hospital of negligence, sparking widespread outrage across social media platforms. In her statement, she shared that her son initially appeared to have a common cold, which later escalated into a severe infection.
She recounted that upon their arrival at Euracare on Tuesday, January 6, they were informed that sedation would be necessary to prevent her son from moving during the MRI and central line procedures.
Chimamanda alleged that her son received an excessive dose of propofol from the hospital’s anaesthesiologist and that he was not properly monitored afterward. According to her, this led to a rapid decline in Nkanu’s condition, including loss of consciousness, seizures, and cardiac arrest, ultimately resulting in his death.
