Solicitors acting for acclaimed Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her partner, Dr Ivara Esege, have issued a formal legal notice to Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Lagos, following the death of their 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi. The development comes amid confirmation by the Lagos State Government that the anaesthesiologist involved in the child’s care has been suspended, as official investigations continue.
In a letter dated 10 January 2026, the parents’ legal representatives alleged that Euracare Hospital, its anaesthesiologist and other attending medical personnel breached their duty of care, resulting in the child’s death in the early hours of Wednesday, 7 January 2026. The notice was issued by the law firm PINHEIRO LP and signed by its founding partner, Prof Kemi Pinheiro (SAN).
According to the solicitors, Nkanu was referred to Euracare on 6 January 2026 from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital for diagnostic and preparatory procedures ahead of an urgent medical evacuation to the United States. These procedures reportedly included an echocardiogram, a brain MRI, insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line) and a lumbar puncture. A specialist medical team in the US was said to be on standby to receive him.
The notice states that intravenous sedation was administered using propofol. However, during transportation to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory following the MRI, the child allegedly developed sudden and severe complications. The solicitors raised “serious and substantive concerns” about compliance with patient safety protocols during the transfer, despite the child being under sedation. He was later pronounced dead in the early hours of the following day.
Multiple alleged lapses were outlined in the notice, including concerns about 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 also alleged that their son was transferred without supplemental oxygen, without proper monitoring, and without sufficient medical personnel or readily available resuscitation equipment.
Further grievances included alleged delays in recognising and managing respiratory or cardiovascular compromise, as well as a failure to comply with established paediatric anaesthesia and patient-transfer protocols. The solicitors also accused the hospital of failing to adequately disclose the risks associated with propofol, thereby undermining informed consent.
As part of their next steps, the parents demanded certified copies of all medical records within seven days and placed the hospital on notice to preserve all relevant physical and electronic evidence, including CCTV footage and internal communications.
Meanwhile, Euracare Hospital said it had commenced a detailed internal investigation. The Lagos State Government confirmed that the anaesthesiologist involved has been suspended and that regulatory authorities are conducting an active probe. The case has drawn widespread public attention, particularly following Adichie’s earlier public statement alleging negligence in her son’s care.
