Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has accused Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital of medical negligence following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Esege, after a series of medical procedures in Lagos.
The Lagos State government has ordered an investigation into the incident. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu directed relevant authorities to probe allegations of medical negligence after public concern surrounding the child’s death.
In a legal notice dated Jan. 10, 2026, lawyers representing Adichie and her partner, Dr. Ivara Esege, alleged that Euracare, its anesthesiologist and other medical personnel breached their duty of care. The child died in the early hours of Jan. 7, 2026.
According to the notice, the child, born March 25, 2024, was referred to Euracare on Jan. 6 from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital for diagnostic and preparatory procedures ahead of a planned medical evacuation to the United States, where a specialist team was said to be on standby.
The procedures included an echocardiogram, a brain MRI, insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter, and a lumbar puncture. Intravenous sedation was administered using propofol, the notice said.
The parents alleged that the child developed sudden and severe complications while being transported to the cardiac catheterization laboratory after the MRI. Despite being under sedation, he was reportedly moved between clinical areas under conditions that raised serious concerns about compliance with patient safety protocols.
He was later pronounced dead.
The legal notice, issued without prejudice to the parents’ rights and signed by lawyers led by Professor Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, cited multiple alleged lapses in pediatric anesthetic and procedural care. These included concerns over the appropriateness and cumulative dosing of propofol in a critically ill child, inadequate airway protection during deep sedation, and failure to ensure continuous physiological monitoring.
The parents further alleged that their son was transferred without supplemental oxygen, without adequate monitoring, and without sufficient accompanying medical personnel.
They also raised concerns about the availability of basic resuscitation equipment, delayed recognition and management of respiratory or cardiovascular distress, and an alleged failure to comply with established pediatric anesthesia, patient transfer and safety protocols.
Another allegation centered on what the parents described as inadequate disclosure of the risks and potential side effects of propofol and other anesthetic agents, which they said undermined the legal requirement for informed consent.
The lawyers said the alleged lapses constituted prima facie breaches of the duty of care and rendered the hospital and involved medical personnel liable for medical negligence.
The parents demanded certified copies of all medical records related to their son’s treatment within seven days. The requested documents include admission notes, consent forms, pre-anesthetic assessments, anesthetic charts, drug administration records, monitoring logs, procedural notes, nursing observations, ICU records, incident reports, and the identities of all medical staff involved.
They also requested internal reviews, MRI suite safety logs, and other documentation related to the child’s care.
The hospital was placed on formal notice to preserve all relevant physical and electronic evidence, including CCTV footage, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy records, emergency equipment logs, internal communications, and any morbidity and mortality reviews. The lawyers warned that destruction or alteration of evidence could attract legal consequences.
The notice stated that failure to comply would leave the parents with no option but to pursue legal, regulatory and judicial action.
Meanwhile, Dr. Anthea Esege Nwandu, the child’s aunt, disputed a statement issued by Euracare on Jan. 10. Nwandu, a dual board-certified internal medicine physician with three decades of clinical experience in Nigeria and the United States, said the hospital’s account contained significant inaccuracies.
In a separate statement, Adichie accused the anesthesiologist of criminal negligence, alleging that proper medical protocols were not followed.
Responding to Euracare’s claim that its care met international standards, Nwandu questioned whether the child received continuous oxygen therapy and monitoring during sedation. She said international standards require continuous monitoring of oxygen saturation, pulse and respiration, as well as the presence of resuscitation equipment during patient transfers.
She alleged these standards were not met.
Euracare has not publicly responded to the specific claims raised in the legal notice.