* Chimamanda Adichie
The Pathfinder
Monday January 12, 2026
Please, share this story:
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu
has ordered an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the alleged medical negligence causing the death of Nkanu, the son of renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, at a private healthcare facility in Lagos.
Governor Sanwo-Olu gave the directive through the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), following public concern generated by Ms. Adichie’s account of the tragic incident, which occurred on January 6.
In a press statement signed by the Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Lagos State expressed deep condolences to the grieving family, describing the loss of a child as “a profound tragedy.”
“On behalf of the Government and people of Lagos State, we commiserate sincerely with Ms. Chimamanda Adichie and her family over this painful and irreparable loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this extremely difficult time,” the statement read.
The government reaffirmed its zero tolerance for medical negligence and unprofessional conduct in any health facility operating within the state.
“Lagos State Government places the highest value on human life and maintains zero tolerance for medical negligence or unprofessional conduct in any health facility operating within the State,” the statement added.
According to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Kemi Ogunyemi, HEFAMAA has already commenced investigation into the matter and has visited the facility involved.
“The Governor has directed HEFAMAA to immediately commence a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, with a view to unraveling the immediate and remote causes of the death,” Ogunyemi said.
She explained that the investigation would involve a detailed review of clinical protocols, professional conduct, patient safety standards, and the responsibilities of all parties connected to the case.
HEFAMAA, she noted, would also collaborate with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and other regulatory bodies to ensure credibility and professionalism in the process.
“The Agency will work in close collaboration with the MDCN and other relevant regulatory bodies to ensure a holistic, credible, and professional review process,” she stated.
The government assured Lagos residents that the findings of the investigation would be made public.“Findings of the investigation will be made public as soon as the process is concluded, in the interest of transparency and public accountability,” Ogunyemi said.
She warned that any health facility or professional found culpable would face the full weight of the law.
“Any individual or institution found culpable of negligence, professional misconduct, or regulatory violations will face the full wrath of the law, in accordance with existing legal and regulatory frameworks,” the statement declared.
While urging the public to remain calm and avoid speculation, the state government reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the rights, safety, and health of all residents.
“Lagos State remains committed to continuously strengthening oversight of medical practice to prevent the recurrence of such tragic incidents,” Ogunyemi said.
The government extended its condolences to Ms. Adichie and her family, assuring them that justice and due process would not be compromised.
Lawyer writes
Meanwhile, the solicitors acting for Chimamanda Adichie, have written to Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Lagos, over the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi.
In a legal notice dated January 10, 2026, solicitors acting for Chimamanda and her partner, Dr Ivara Esege, alleged that the hospital, its anaesthesiologist, and attending medical personnel breached the duty of care owed to their son, who died in the early hours of Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
The notice was issued on behalf of the parents by PINHEIRO LP and signed by the founding partner, Prof Kemi Pinheiro (SAN).
According to the notice, the child was referred to the hospital on January 6, 2026, from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital for a series of diagnostic and preparatory procedures. These included an echocardiogram, a brain MRI, the insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line), and a lumbar puncture.
The procedures were reportedly part of preparations for an imminent medical evacuation to the United States, where a specialist medical team was said to be on standby to receive him.
The solicitors stated that intravenous sedation was administered using propofol.
However, during transportation to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory following the MRI procedure, the child allegedly developed sudden and severe complications.
Despite being under sedation, he was said to have been transferred between clinical areas under conditions that raised “serious and substantive concerns” about compliance with patient-safety protocols.
He was later pronounced dead in the early hours of January 7, 2026.
The legal notice outlines multiple alleged lapses in paediatric anaesthetic and procedural care.
These include concerns about the appropriateness and cumulative dosing of propofol in a critically ill child, inadequate airway protection during deep sedation, and an alleged failure to ensure continuous physiological monitoring.
The parents further alleged that their son was transferred without supplemental oxygen, without adequate monitoring, and without sufficient accompanying medical personnel.
They also raised concerns over the availability of basic resuscitation equipment, delayed recognition and management of respiratory or cardiovascular compromise, and an overall failure to comply with established paediatric anaesthesia, patient-transfer, and safety protocols.
Another major grievance cited was the alleged failure of the hospital to adequately disclose the risks and potential side effects of propofol and other anaesthetic agents, thereby undermining the legal requirement for informed consent.
According to the solicitors, these alleged lapses amount to prima facie breaches of the duty of care and render the hospital and all medical personnel involved liable for medical negligence resulting in the child’s death.
As part of their next legal steps, the parents demanded certified copies of all medical records relating to their son’s treatment within seven days of receipt of the notice.
The requested documents include admission notes, consent forms, pre-anaesthetic assessments, anaesthetic charts, drug administration records, monitoring logs, procedural notes, nursing observations, ICU records, incident reports, and the identities of all medical staff involved.
The demand also covers internal reviews, safety logs from the MRI suite, and any other documentation connected to the child’s care.
The hospital was also formally placed on notice to preserve all relevant evidence, whether physical or electronic.
This includes CCTV footage from procedure rooms and corridors, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy and drug inventory records, crash-cart and emergency equipment logs, as well as internal communications and any morbidity and mortality reviews.
The solicitors warned that “any destruction, alteration, or loss of such evidence after receipt of this letter shall be regarded as suppression or concealment of evidence and obstruction of the course of justice, and will be relied upon accordingly, with attendant legal consequences.”
The letter concluded with a warning that failure or refusal by the hospital to comply with the demands within the stipulated timeframe would leave the parents with no option but to pursue all available legal, regulatory, and judicial remedies against the hospital and all medical personnel involved.
Family doctor protests
The family doctor and the deceased’s aunt, Dr Anthea Nwandu, faulted the Euracare hospital management over its statement relating to the circumstances of Nnamdi’s death.
While the hospital stressed that it followed standard procedures in its operations, Dr Nwandu, in a statement made available to The PUNCH on Sunday, disagreed.
According to the clinic, the deceased, who was critically ill, was referred to Euracare for “specific diagnostic procedures” after spending more than a week receiving treatment at two paediatric facilities.
The hospital explained that upon his arrival, its medical team immediately provided care in line with established clinical protocols and internationally accepted medical standards, including the administration of sedation where medically indicated.
It added that the hospital worked closely with external medical teams recommended by the family and ensured that all required clinical support was provided throughout the period of care.
“Despite these concerted efforts, the patient sadly passed away less than 24 hours after presenting at our facility,” it noted.
However, Nwandu, who identified herself as a dual board-certified Internal Medicine physician with 30 years of global clinical experience in Nigeria and the United States, refuted the claim that the child had been taken to two clinics before arriving at Euracare.
“This is false. He was in one hospital before coming to Euracare for the procedures,” she said.
She added that international standards demand that “a child on oxygen, who is given sedation, must have continuous oxygen therapy. Did Euracare do this? No. They confirmed this verbally to me when I went to the hospital to question the doctors.
“International standards demand that the child should have continuous monitoring of oxygen levels in his blood. Did Euracare do this? No.
“International standards demand continuous monitoring of pulse and respiration. Did Euracare do this? No.
“International standards demand that when moving the child from one part of the hospital to another, the child must be accompanied by resuscitative equipment in case he stops breathing (a known risk of anaesthesia). This can easily be done with a simple apparatus called an ambu bag. Did Euracare do this? No.”
The aunt claimed that because there was no monitoring, it was impossible to accurately document when the child stopped breathing or how long he was pulseless before resuscitation.
“Is it an international standard for an anaesthesiologist to carry a child post-sedation on his shoulder, unable to visually see the child, with absolutely no monitoring, while insisting that he alone would be in the elevator with the child? No. To transfer the child to the ICU, the anaesthesiologist disconnected his oxygen and again carried him on his shoulder. Is that standard practice? No.”
Nwandu said the child was medically stable and had been booked for a scheduled medical evacuation flight to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore when the alleged negligence occurred.
There was outrage on social media after the popular writer on Saturday accused Euracare Multispecialist Hospital in Lagos of negligence leading to her son’s death.
Adichie said in a statement that her son, who was billed to be flown abroad for treatment, had developed what was initially thought to be a cold but later turned into “a very serious infection.”
She stated that upon arrival at the hospital on Tuesday, they were told her son would need to be sedated to prevent movement during the MRI and central line procedures.
However, she alleged that her son was not properly monitored after being administered an “excessive dose of propofol” by the hospital’s anaesthesiologist.
According to her, the situation quickly deteriorated, leading to loss of responsiveness, seizures, and cardiac arrest, which eventually resulted in his death on Wednesday.
We are here to serve you news and information.
Your donations, reactions and advert placement are welcome.
Contact us on 08033783144 (WhatsApp)
08023469999(WhatsApp)
idowuadelusi@gmail.com,thepathfindernews0@gmail.com
Follow our reports also on X @idowuadelusi and Facebook (Idowu Oluwole Adelusi)