The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), alongside the Chief Coroner and the presiding Coroner investigating the death of Master Nkanu Adichie-Esege, have asked the Lagos State High Court to dismiss a suit filed by Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited seeking to halt the ongoing coroner’s inquest.
The application was made through a preliminary objection dated June 5, 2026, in response to a judicial review action instituted by the Victoria Island-based hospital where the 21-month-old son of Chimamanda Adichie and Dr Ivara Esege reportedly died on January 7, 2026.
The hospital had previously secured an interim order from Justice Aishat Opesanwo of the Lagos High Court in Osborne, Ikoyi, temporarily suspending the inquest pending the determination of its substantive application. Eurapharma is seeking orders of certiorari and prohibition to nullify decisions of the Coroner’s Court and prevent further proceedings.
However, the Attorney-General, Chief Coroner and presiding Coroner argued that the suit is premature, incompetent and constitutes an abuse of court process. They maintained that judicial review is only available where a tribunal acts outside its jurisdiction or exceeds its statutory powers.
According to the respondents, the Lagos State Coroners System Law grants the Coroner exclusive authority to investigate suspicious deaths within its jurisdiction, and the ongoing inquiry falls squarely within those legal powers.
They also rejected the hospital’s argument that the alleged cremation of the child’s remains deprived the Coroner of jurisdiction, noting that the law permits an inquest even where a body is unavailable or has been destroyed.
The respondents further argued that no evidence concerning the alleged cremation or the absence of an autopsy report had yet been formally presented before the Coroner, making the hospital’s claims speculative.
Addressing concerns about fair hearing, they stated that the hospital had not been denied the opportunity to present evidence or cross-examine witnesses, despite objections to the Coroner’s directive requiring it to call witnesses first.
They urged the court to strike out the suit, describing it as an attempt to circumvent the statutory process for investigating suspicious deaths.
Justice Aishat Opesanwo subsequently adjourned the matter until September 28, 2026, for the hearing of all preliminary objections.