Popular Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has taken legal action against author, Chimamanda Multi-Specialist Hospital, Lagos.
Her allegations were based on purported medical negligence following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Esege.
This allegation has prompted a probe ordered by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
This is according to a legal notice dated January 10, 2026, and subsequent public statements by the family, which have intensified public scrutiny of private healthcare standards in Nigeria.
The tragic incident occurred barely a day after the child was referred to Euracare for diagnostic procedures ahead of a planned medical evacuation to the United States.
In the legal notice issued by solicitors led by Professor Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, Adichie and her partner, Dr. Ivara Esege, alleged that Euracare, its anesthesiologist, and attending medical personnel breached their duty of care to the child.
The notice claimed that intravenous sedation was administered using propofol and that during transportation to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory after the MRI, the child developed sudden and severe complications.
The parents alleged that despite being under deep sedation, the child was transferred between clinical areas under conditions that raised “serious and substantive concerns” regarding compliance with patient-safety protocols.
He was reportedly transferred without supplemental oxygen, without continuous physiological monitoring, and without adequate accompanying medical personnel.
The notice further cited concerns over the cumulative dosing of propofol in a critically ill child, inadequate airway protection, delayed recognition of respiratory or cardiovascular compromise, and the alleged absence of basic resuscitation equipment. The solicitors also accused the hospital of failing to adequately disclose the risks associated with propofol, thereby undermining informed consent.
As part of their legal demands, the parents requested certified copies of all medical records relating to their son’s treatment within seven days.
The child, born on March 25, 2024, was referred from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital on January 6, 2026, for preparatory investigations including an echocardiogram, brain MRI, insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line), and a lumbar puncture.
He reportedly died in the early hours of January 7, 2026, following complications that arose during and after these procedures.
The commission’s Director-General, Babatunde Irukera, described viral videos recorded by medical staff instead of providing care as a violation of medical standards, patient dignity, and confidentiality.
The Lagos State Government also intervened to review claims of possible culpable negligence and dereliction of duty.