Allegations

  Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has published a letter she wrote to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos, accusing the hospital of orchestrating a cover-up in the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege. Adichie shared the letter, dated April 16, 2026, on her Facebook page on Saturday, saying she decided to make it public “because to keep silent about Euracare’s evil is to enable it.” In the letter, the author alleged that the Medical Director of Euracare, Dr Tosin Majekodunmi, visited the family at their Ikoyi home on January 8, the day after Nkanu’s death, and admitted that the anaesthesiologist, Dr Titus Ogundare, had not followed the standard of care. According to the letter, Majekodunmi told Adichie on January 6 that Ogundare had given Nkanu “too much propofol” — words she described as his exact statement to her after she saw him rush into the catheterisation laboratory where the child was. She said the director accepted full responsibility and promised to dismiss Dr Ogundare. However, she alleged that he subsequently stopped communicating with the family, stating that Euracare management had taken over and effectively silenced him. Adichie further alleged that Euracare listed bacterial and fungal meningitis as the cause of death on Nkanu’s death certificate, a claim she described as inaccurate. “When Nkanu came to Euracare that morning for tests, he was conscious and talking and interactive. He was sick but he was not critical,” she stated. She added that the certificate must be corrected to reflect what she believes was the true cause: improper sedation, hypoxic brain injury, and cardiac arrest. The author also alleged that a senior figure in Euracare’s ownership sent a message to a family relative warning that she should not pursue court action because “bad things may be said about her since court cases are about winning and anybody would do anything to win.” Adichie described the message as “manipulative and implicitly threatening.” “They can drag all they wish in the mud, but our quest for justice will continue,” she said. On the ongoing inquest, Adichie noted that it was Euracare itself that first applied for a coroner’s inquest in January, citing “rumours of negligence.” She said the hospital has since deployed delaying tactics and is now seeking to stop the inquest entirely. “If Euracare cares about the truth, then why create delays and distractions and now, finally, try to stop an inquest?” she asked. The Lagos State High Court, on May 26, 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 (SAN), and the Chief Coroner of Lagos State have since filed a preliminary objection urging the High Court to dismiss Euracare’s application, describing it as incompetent, premature, and an abuse of court process. 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 subsequently suspended Dr Ogundare and Dr Majekodunmi, alongside the Chief Medical Officer of Atlantis Pediatric Hospital, Dr Atinuke Uwajeh, pending disciplinary proceedings. Euracare had not responded to Adichie’s post as of the time of this report.