Lagos coroner opens formal inquiry into death of Adichie’s son, hearing slated for April 14

The Lagos State Government has formally triggered a judicial inquest into the death of 21-month-old Nkanu Nnamdi Esege, son of acclaimed novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, with proceedings scheduled to commence on April 14, 2026.

The decision followed a request by the Attorney-General of Lagos State for a coroner’s inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death. Acting on that request, the Chief Coroner initiated proceedings before the Yaba Magistrate Court, where Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji is presiding.

At a preliminary sitting on Wednesday, the court clarified that the session was convened to outline procedural steps and confirm readiness for a full hearing. Magistrate Adetunji directed all parties to file their witness statements ahead of the adjourned date to streamline the issues in dispute.

The Attorney-General’s representative told the court that the state deemed the matter significant, particularly after news of the child’s death entered the public domain, necessitating a transparent judicial review.

READ ALSO: Nigerian govt unveils 9-pillar plan to achieve over 7% non-inflationary growth by 2027

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kemi Pinheiro, appeared for the family, while Adebola Rahman represented the state. Cheluchi Onyemelukwe of Health Ethics and Law Consulting appeared for Atlantis Hospital, with separate counsel representing Euracare Multispecialist Hospital.

Counsel to the family maintained that the death was unnatural and occurred during medical intervention, indicating that evidence would be led to support allegations of gross medical negligence. The claims are expected to include possible overdose, wrongful prescription, improper administration of propofol, and misdiagnosis.

The family has signalled its intention to call five independent medical experts—among them specialists in anaesthesia, paediatric anaesthesia, radiology, and intensive care—in addition to Dr. Esege, who is also listed as a prospective witness. A formal request was also made for Euracare to preserve all physical and electronic records related to January 6, 2026, including CCTV footage, monitoring logs, pharmacy documentation, internal communications, and review reports.

In outlining the sequence of proceedings, the court indicated that Euracare Multispecialist Hospital would present its case first, followed by the family and then Atlantis Hospital. The substantive hearing is expected to focus on establishing the cause of death and determining whether any act or omission contributed to the outcome.

The post  Lagos coroner opens formal inquiry into death of Adichie’s son, hearing slated for April 14 appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.