Popular Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has filed a lawsuit against Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Lagos, over the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Esege, alleging medical negligence in his care.
The legal action, detailed in a notice dated January 10, 2026, has also prompted Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to order a probe into the incident, further intensifying public scrutiny of standards in Nigeria’s private healthcare sector.
According to the family, the child died barely a day after he was referred to Euracare for diagnostic procedures ahead of a planned medical evacuation to the United States.
In the notice issued by solicitors led by Professor Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, Adichie and her partner, Dr Ivara Esege, accused Euracare, its anaesthesiologist, and other attending medical personnel of breaching their duty of care.
They alleged that intravenous sedation was administered using propofol and that while the child was being transported to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory after an MRI, he developed sudden and severe complications.
The parents claimed that despite being under deep sedation, the child was transferred between clinical areas under conditions that raised “serious and substantive concerns” about compliance with patient-safety protocols.
Specifically, they alleged that he was moved without supplemental oxygen, without continuous physiological monitoring, and without adequate accompanying medical personnel.
The notice also cited concerns about cumulative dosing of propofol in a critically ill child, inadequate airway protection, delayed recognition of respiratory or cardiovascular compromise, and the alleged absence of basic resuscitation equipment.
The solicitors further accused the hospital of failing to properly disclose the risks associated with propofol, thereby undermining informed consent.
As part of their demands, the parents requested certified copies of all medical records relating to their son’s treatment within seven days. These include admission notes, consent forms, anaesthetic charts, drug administration logs, ICU records, incident reports, and the identities of all medical staff involved.
They also instructed the hospital to preserve all relevant evidence, including CCTV footage, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy records and internal communications, warning that any destruction or alteration of evidence could amount to obstruction of justice and attract legal consequences.
The child, born on March 25, 2024, was referred from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital on January 6, 2026, for preparatory investigations, including an echocardiogram, brain MRI, insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line) and a lumbar puncture.
He reportedly died in the early hours of January 7, 2026, following complications that arose during and after the procedures.
Meanwhile, the child’s aunt, Dr Anthea Esege Nwandu, a dual board-certified Internal Medicine physician, has publicly disputed Euracare’s statement denying negligence.
She alleged multiple inconsistencies in the hospital’s account and insisted that internationally accepted standards of care, including continuous oxygen therapy, monitoring and transfer with resuscitation equipment, were not followed.
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