Solicitors representing renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and her partner, Dr Ivara Esege, have written to Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Lagos, over the death of their 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, alleging medical negligence, as the Lagos State Government confirmed the suspension of the anaesthesiologist involved in the case.
In a legal notice dated January 10, 2026, the solicitors alleged that the hospital, its anesthesiologist and other attending medical personnel breached the duty of care owed to the child, who died in the early hours of Wednesday, January 7, 2026. The notice was issued on behalf of the parents by PINHEIRO LP and signed by the firm’s founding partner, Prof Kemi Pinheiro (SAN).
NRTC had earlier reported the statement by Adichie regarding her son’s death
According to the notice, the child was referred to Euracare on January 6, 2026, from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital for a series of diagnostic and preparatory procedures, including an echocardiogram, a brain MRI, the insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter and a lumbar puncture. The procedures were said to be part of preparations for an imminent medical evacuation to the United States, where a specialist medical team was reportedly on standby to receive him.
The solicitors stated that intravenous sedation was administered using propofol. However, during transportation to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory following the MRI procedure, the child allegedly developed sudden and severe complications. Despite being under sedation, he was reportedly transferred between clinical areas under conditions that raised serious concerns about compliance with patient-safety protocols, before he was pronounced dead on January 7.
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The legal notice outlined several alleged lapses in paediatric anaesthetic and procedural care, including concerns over the appropriateness and cumulative dosing of propofol in a critically ill child, inadequate airway protection during deep sedation and the alleged failure to ensure continuous physiological monitoring. The parents further alleged that their son was transferred without supplemental oxygen, adequate monitoring or sufficient accompanying medical personnel.
Other concerns raised included the alleged absence of basic resuscitation equipment, delayed recognition and management of respiratory or cardiovascular compromise and a general failure to comply with established paediatric anaesthesia, patient-transfer and safety protocols.
The solicitors 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.
According to the solicitors, the alleged lapses amount to prima facie breaches of the duty of care, rendering the hospital and all medical personnel involved liable for medical negligence resulting in the child’s death. The parents demanded certified copies of all medical records relating to their son’s treatment within seven days, including admission notes, consent forms, anaesthetic charts, drug administration records, monitoring logs, 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 further placed on notice to preserve all relevant physical and electronic evidence, including CCTV footage, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy and drug inventory records, emergency equipment logs and internal communications.
The solicitors warned that any destruction, alteration or loss of evidence would be regarded as obstruction of justice, adding that failure to comply with the demands would leave the parents with no option but to pursue legal, regulatory and judicial remedies.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Euracare Hospital said it had commenced a detailed internal investigation into the incident in line with its clinical governance standards and best practices, pledging to engage transparently with regulatory authorities. The hospital stated that the child, who was critically ill, had been referred for specific diagnostic procedures after receiving care at paediatric facilities and that its medical team provided treatment in accordance with established clinical protocols and internationally accepted standards, including sedation where medically indicated. It added that despite these efforts, the child died less than 24 hours after presenting at the facility.
The Lagos State Government also announced that it had begun an investigation into the incident. Speaking in a telephone interview on Sunday, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, confirmed that the anaesthesiologist involved in the child’s care had been suspended by the hospital’s management. Ogunyemi said the state’s Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency had commenced its probe and would follow due process, noting that the hospital was cooperating fully with the investigation.
Meanwhile, the child’s aunt and family doctor, Dr Anthea Nwandu, faulted Euracare’s account of events, disputing the hospital’s claim that the child had received treatment at two facilities before arriving at Euracare. Nwandu, a dual board-certified Internal Medicine physician with over 30 years of experience in Nigeria and the United States, alleged that international standards of care were breached, including failure to provide continuous oxygen therapy and monitoring of oxygen saturation, pulse and respiration after sedation.
She further alleged that the child was transferred between hospital units without resuscitation equipment and claimed that the lack of monitoring made it impossible to accurately determine when the child stopped breathing or how long he was pulseless before resuscitation attempts. Nwandu also alleged that the anaesthesiologist carried the sedated child without monitoring and disconnected his oxygen during transfer to the intensive care unit, actions she described as inconsistent with standard medical practice.
The incident has generated widespread public reaction after Adichie accused Euracare Hospital of negligence in a public statement. The author said her son, who was scheduled for medical evacuation abroad, developed seizures and cardiac arrest after what she described as excessive sedation and inadequate monitoring, leading to his death.
