By Ayomide Otitoju
The Coroner sitting at the Yaba Magistrate Court has adjourned until April 14, 2026, the commencement of an inquest into the death of 21-month-old Nkanu, son of acclaimed Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr. Ivara Esege.
Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji fixed the date on Wednesday when the matter came up for mention.
At the proceedings, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kemi Pinheiro announced appearance for the bereaved family, while Adebola Rahman represented the Lagos State Attorney-General. Cheluchi Onyemelukwe of Health Ethics and Law Consulting appeared for Atlantis Hospital, with separate counsel representing Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital.
During a preliminary session with parties, Magistrate Adetunji disclosed that the court received an application from the Chief Coroner of Lagos State following a request by the Attorney-General for a formal inquest.
“The Lagos State Government is also bereaved; that is why the Attorney-General has taken this step. It is not just the family of the deceased that is affected,” the magistrate said, noting that the preliminary hearing was to determine whether a full inquest would proceed.
She directed all parties to file witness statements ahead of the next adjourned date and emphasised that the objective of the proceedings was to determine the cause of death. The magistrate added that an autopsy is typically the starting point in any coroner’s inquest.
Pinheiro urged the court to proceed with the hearing, stating that the child’s parents maintain the death was unnatural and occurred during medical intervention. He said the family intends to present evidence alleging gross medical negligence, including possible overdose, wrongful prescription, improper administration of propofol, and wrongful diagnosis.
According to him, the family plans to call five independent medical experts — including specialists in anaesthesia, paediatric anaesthesia, radiology and intensive care — as well as the child’s father, who is also a medical doctor.
He further urged the court to direct Euracare to preserve all physical and electronic evidence from January 6, 2026, including CCTV footage, monitoring data, pharmacy records, emergency logs and internal communications.
While the magistrate agreed that Euracare would open its defence at the substantive hearing, she ruled that the family would present its case next, followed by Atlantis Hospital.
Onyemelukwe told the court that Atlantis would present its account of events, noting she was only notified of the proceedings on Tuesday. Counsel to the Attorney-General urged the court to commence the inquest, stating that the application followed news of the child’s death.
The court is scheduled to reconvene on April 14, 2026, for the substantive hearing.
Nkanu Adichie died on January 7, 2026, after receiving treatment at Atlantis Hospital and undergoing diagnostic procedures at Euracare in Lagos. He had reportedly been referred for pre-flight medical procedures ahead of a planned transfer to a hospital in the United States.
In a legal notice dated January 10, 2026, the family alleged that Euracare, its anaesthesiologist and other attending personnel breached their duty of care. The notice raised concerns over the administration of propofol, monitoring during sedation, availability of resuscitation equipment and compliance with paediatric safety standards.
The parents contend that the child developed severe complications during transfer for further procedures and have called for accountability through the coroner’s inquest.
