Chimamanda Adichie Alleges Euracare Hospital's Involvement in Son's Death Cover-Up

Renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has made public a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos, where she accused the hospital of orchestrating a cover-up regarding the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege. The letter, which was dated April 16, 2026, and shared on her Facebook page, detailed Adichie's decision to speak out, stating that silence would enable the hospital's wrongdoing. According to the letter, the Medical Director of Euracare, Dr. Tosin Majekodunmi, visited Adichie's family at their Ikoyi home on January 8, the day after Nkanu's death, and admitted that the anaesthesiologist, Dr. Titus Ogundare, had failed to follow the standard of care. Adichie stated that on January 6, Majekodunmi informed her that Dr. Ogundare had administered 'too much propofol' to Nkanu. The director accepted full responsibility and promised to dismiss Dr. Ogundare. However, Adichie claimed that Majekodunmi stopped communicating with the family, stating that Euracare's management had taken over and effectively silenced him. Furthermore, Adichie alleged that Euracare's death certificate for Nkanu listed bacterial and fungal meningitis as the cause of death, which she described as inaccurate. She asserted that when Nkanu arrived at the hospital for tests, he was conscious and interactive, and the certificate should be corrected to reflect the true cause: improper sedation, hypoxic brain injury, and cardiac arrest. Adichie also claimed that a senior figure in Euracare's ownership sent a message to a family relative, warning that pursuing court action could lead to negative consequences. The author described the message as manipulative and implicitly threatening. On the ongoing inquest, Adichie noted that Euracare had initially applied for a coroner's inquest in January, citing 'rumours of negligence.' However, the hospital has since deployed delaying tactics and is now seeking to stop the inquest entirely. The Lagos State High Court granted Euracare leave to challenge the jurisdiction of the Coroner's Court, ordering a stay of the inquest proceedings pending the determination of a judicial review application filed by the hospital. The Coroner's Court subsequently adjourned the matter to October 8, 2026. The Lagos State Attorney-General, Lawal Pedro, and the Chief Coroner of Lagos State have filed a preliminary objection, urging the High Court to dismiss Euracare's application. Nkanu, the older of Adichie's twin sons, died on January 7, 2026, following complications during sedation procedures at Euracare. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria suspended Dr. Ogundare and Dr. Majekodunmi, alongside the Chief Medical Officer of Atlantis Pediatric Hospital, Dr. Atinuke Uwajeh, pending disciplinary proceedings.