AWARD-WINNING Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has formally issued a legal notice to Euracare Multispecialist Hospital in Lagos State, accusing the facility and its medical personnel of medical negligence and professional misconduct following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege.
In the notice dated January 10, 2026 and reported by Arise Television, solicitors acting for Adichie and her partner, Ivara Esege, alleged that the hospital, its anaesthesiologist, and other healthcare professionals breached the duty of care owed to the child, who died in the early hours of January 7 after undergoing a series of medical procedures.
The notice, issued “without prejudice” to the parents’ rights and signed by a law firm led by Kemi Pinheiro, a senior advocate, stated that the child, born on March 25, 2024, was referred to Euracare on January 6, 2026, from Atlantis Paediatric Hospital.
The petitioners said the referral was for diagnostic and preparatory procedures ahead of an emergency medical evacuation to the United States, where a specialist medical team was reportedly on standby to receive him.
According to the legal notice, the planned procedures at Euracare included an echocardiogram, a brain MRI scan, insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line), and a lumbar puncture. Intravenous sedation was allegedly administered, using propofol.
The parents alleged that during the course of the procedures, particularly while the child was being transported from the MRI suite to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory, he developed sudden and severe complications.
They noted that despite being under deep sedation, the child was moved between clinical areas under conditions that raised what the solicitors described as “serious and substantive concerns” about compliance with established patient-safety protocols.
The notice outlined multiple alleged lapses in paediatric anaesthetic and procedural care, including concerns about the appropriateness and cumulative dosing of propofol in a critically ill toddler.
The parents also raised issues about inadequate airway protection during deep sedation, failure to ensure continuous physiological monitoring, and the absence of sufficient medical personnel during inter-departmental transfers.
The solicitors said the child was transferred without supplemental oxygen, adequate monitoring equipment, and proper escort by qualified medical staff. They further alleged delays in recognising and managing respiratory or cardiovascular compromise, as well as a failure to ensure the availability of basic resuscitation equipment.
The legal notice cited an alleged failure by the hospital to fully disclose the risks and potential side effects associated with propofol and other anaesthetic agents. It said this omission undermined the legal requirement for informed consent prior to the procedures.
The solicitors stated that, taken together, the alleged lapses constituted prima facie breaches of the duty of care owed to the child and render the hospital and the medical personnel involved liable for medical negligence resulting in death.
They also demanded certified copies of all medical records related to their son’s treatment within seven days of receipt of the notice.
The requested documents include admission notes, consent forms, pre-anaesthetic assessments, anaesthetic charts, drug administration records, monitoring logs, procedural notes, nursing observations, intensive care records, incident reports, and the identities of all medical staff involved in the child’s care.
The demand also extends to internal reviews, MRI suite safety logs, and any other documentation connected to the treatment.
In addition, the hospital was formally instructed to preserve all relevant evidence, both physical and electronic. These include CCTV footage from procedure rooms and hospital corridors, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy and drug inventory records, crash-cart and emergency equipment logs, internal communications, and any morbidity and mortality reviews conducted in relation to the case.
The solicitors warned that any destruction, alteration, or loss of evidence after receipt of the notice would be treated as suppression of evidence and obstruction of justice, with potential legal consequences.
The letter further cautioned that failure to comply with the demands within the stipulated timeframe would leave the parents with no option but to pursue all available legal, regulatory, and judicial remedies against the hospital and all medical personnel involved.
The ICIR reports that following the allegations by the deceased parents, the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Health, ordered an immediate probe into the incident.
In a statement on January 10, the government expressed condolences to Adichie and her family, describing the loss of a child as a profound tragedy.
It further directed the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) to conduct a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into the incident, which occurred on January 6.
The government said the investigation would assess compliance with clinical protocols, professional conduct, patient-safety standards, and the roles of all parties involved.
It added that the agency would work in collaboration with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and other relevant regulatory bodies, with findings to be made public at the conclusion of the probe.
In a statement on January 10, Adichie had said her son had initially been treated for what was believed to be a cold before his condition deteriorated into a severe infection that required hospitalisation at Atlantis Pediatric Hospital.
Atlantis Hospital subsequently referred the family to Euracare to carry out several procedures.
In its response, Euracare Hospital expressed sympathy to the family but said some reports circulating about the incident contained inaccuracies. In a statement signed by its management, the hospital said the child was critically ill before being referred to its facility and had received treatment at two paediatric centres prior to arrival.
Euracare said its medical team provided care in line with established clinical protocols and internationally accepted standards, including the administration of sedation where clinically indicated. The hospital added that it worked collaboratively with external medical teams recommended by the family and provided all necessary clinical support, but the patient died less than 24 hours after presenting at the facility.
The hospital also disclosed that it had commenced an internal investigation in line with its clinical governance standards and pledged to cooperate fully with all regulatory and investigative processes, while offering continued support to the grieving family.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M