A coroner at the Yaba Magistrate Court in Lagos has fixed April 14, 2026, to begin proceedings into the death of 21-month-old Nkanu Nnamdi.
Nkanu, who died on January 7, 2026, was the son of acclaimed writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege.
Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji set the date on Wednesday, February 25, when the matter came before the court.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kemi Pinheiro appeared for the family, while Adebola Rahman represented the Lagos State Attorney-General.
Cheluchi Onyemelukwe of Health Ethics and Law Consulting stood in for Atlantis Hospital, and another lawyer represented Euracare.
During a preliminary session with the parties, the magistrate explained that the Chief Coroner received a request from the Attorney-General asking that an inquest be held.
She noted that the Lagos State Government also considers itself affected by the tragedy, not just the child’s family.
“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,” she said.
The court said the purpose of the initial sitting was to decide how the inquest would proceed.
All parties were directed to file their witness statements before the next hearing date.
The magistrate stressed that the main goal of the process is to establish the cause of death and reminded everyone to handle the matter carefully.
She added that an autopsy report is usually the foundation of any coroner’s inquiry.
“For every inquest, the starting point is that there must be an autopsy done to give us a professional report,” she said.
Pinheiro urged the court to move ahead with the hearing, stating that the parents believe their son’s death was not natural but happened during medical treatment.
He said the family intends to present evidence alleging serious medical negligence, including possible overdose, wrong prescriptions, improper use of propofol, and misdiagnosis.
According to him, five independent medical experts — including specialists in anaesthesia, paediatric anaesthesia, radiology, and intensive care — as well as the child’s father, who is a medical doctor, are expected to testify.
He also asked the court to order Euracare to preserve all relevant evidence from January 6, 2026, such as CCTV footage, medical monitoring records, pharmacy logs, equipment records, and internal communications.
The magistrate ruled that Euracare would present its case first when the hearing begins, followed by the family and then Atlantis Hospital.
Earlier, Onyemelukwe told the court that Atlantis Hospital would give its own account of events and said she only became aware of the court date the day before.
Rahman, representing the Attorney-General, said the state requested the inquest after learning of the child’s death.
“Since all the parties are here, we would be asking the court to open the hearing. We pray this court to commence with the hearing,” he said.
Nkanu died on January 7, 2026, after receiving treatment at Atlantis Hospital and undergoing procedures at Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos.
He had initially been admitted to Atlantis for what was described as a mild illness that later worsened.
Plans were being made to transfer him to Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States for further treatment.
Before the trip, he was referred to Euracare for tests and preparatory procedures, including scans and the insertion of medical lines. He died shortly after undergoing those procedures.
In a legal notice dated January 10, 2026, the parents accused Euracare and some of its medical staff of failing in their duty of care.
They raised concerns about the use of sedation drugs, monitoring during the procedures, the handling of his transfer within the hospital, and whether proper emergency equipment and staff were available at the time.
The court is expected to formally open the inquest when it reconvenes on April 14, 2026.
KanyiDaily recalls that Chimamanda Adichie had issued a legal notice to Euracare Hospital, accusing the facility of medical negligence in the death of Nkanu Nnamdi.
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