A coroner’s inquest into the tragic death of Nkanu Nnamdi Esege, the 21-month-old son of acclaimed Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, is set to commence on April 14, 2026.
The Yaba Magistrate Court in Lagos has scheduled the proceedings following the toddler’s passing on January 7, 2026, at Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital during a family visit from the United States. Nkanu, one of twin boys, had been undergoing treatment for a brief illness that escalated critically.
In a widely circulated family statement shared via WhatsApp and later reported publicly, Adichie alleged gross medical negligence, including an overdose of the sedative by an anesthesiologist, denial of oxygen when required, inadequate monitoring, and improper handling during transport, which allegedly led to cardiac arrest and irreversible brain damage. The family had planned to airlift the child to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for advanced care, but he succumbed before transfer.
Euracare Hospital has firmly denied the allegations, stating that care adhered to international standards and protocols for a critically ill patient referred from other facilities. The hospital expressed deepest sympathies and initiated its own clinical governance review while committing to cooperate with regulatory processes.
Her sister-in-law, Dr. Anthea Nwandu, a physician, described the family’s profound, ongoing grief noting that Adichie was “not coping” with the loss of the twin.
