Celebrated Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Ivara Esege, have formally asked Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos to provide, within seven days, complete medical records and preserve all evidence relating to the death of their 21-month-old son, Nkanu Adichie-Esege.
The request was conveyed in a letter dated January 10, 2026, issued by leading law firm Pinheiro LP and signed by its Founding Partner, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN).
In the four-page correspondence, the hospital was accused of “prima facie breaches of the duty of care” in the treatment administered to the child between January 6 and 7, 2026.
Nkanu, who was born on March 25, 2024, died on January 7, 2026, while undergoing medical procedures at the facility.
The letter, addressed to the hospital’s Medical Director, Tosin Majekodunmi, stated that the child had been referred from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital for procedures including an echocardiogram, brain MRI, PICC line insertion, and lumbar puncture, ahead of a planned transfer to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where a specialist team was reportedly awaiting him.
According to the lawyers, the child was sedated with propofol at Euracare, but developed sudden complications during transfer after the MRI, which ultimately led to his death.
The legal team expressed serious concerns about the manner in which the treatment was handled, stating that “A preliminary evaluation of the facts, viewed against established standards of paediatric anaesthetic and procedural care, raises serious and substantive concerns,” and outlining 12 specific issues.
“These included the appropriateness of propofol use, dosing, airway protection during sedation, lack of oxygen during transfer, absence of monitoring, and failure to follow pediatric anaesthesia and patient safety protocols.
“The foregoing matters disclose prima facie breaches of the duty of care owed to the deceased child, and held the hospital, the anaesthesiologist, and all attending medical staff liable for medical negligence that led to his death.”
The lawyers demanded that Euracare release certified copies of all documents connected to the child’s care within seven days, including admission records, consent forms, medication charts, monitoring logs, procedural notes, ICU reports, incident reports, and details of all medical personnel involved.
They also directed the hospital to preserve all relevant evidence, whether physical, electronic, or digital, including CCTV footage, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy logs, and internal review documents.
The letter warned that any destruction or alteration of evidence after receipt of the notice would amount to obstruction of justice and attract legal consequences.
It further stated that failure to comply within the stipulated seven days would prompt additional legal, regulatory, and judicial action against the hospital and all personnel involved, with the family’s rights fully reserved.
Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital has not yet issued a public response to the letter.