Chimamanda Adichie issues legal notice over son’s death

Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has taken legal steps against a private Lagos hospital following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege, alleging medical negligence and serious breaches of professional standards.

In a legal notice dated January 10, 2026, lawyers representing Adichie and her partner, Dr. Ivara Esege, accused the hospital, its anaesthesiologist and other medical personnel of failing in their duty of care, which they say led to the tragic death of their son on January 7, 2026.

According to the notice, the toddler had been referred to the hospital on January 6 from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital for a series of diagnostic and preparatory procedures ahead of an urgent medical evacuation to the United States, where a team of specialists was on standby. The procedures included a heart scan, brain MRI, insertion of a central line and a lumbar puncture, all of which required sedation.

The lawyers stated that propofol was administered intravenously to sedate the child. However, during his transfer from the MRI suite to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory, the child reportedly developed sudden and severe complications.

The legal team raised concerns over how the boy was transported while still under deep sedation, claiming that safety protocols were not properly followed. He was pronounced dead in the early hours of January 7.

The notice outlines several alleged failures in paediatric care, including questions about the amount of anaesthetic drugs administered, inadequate protection of the child’s airway, and the absence of continuous monitoring during the procedures and transfers.

The parents also allege that their son was moved without sufficient oxygen supply, monitoring equipment or medical staff, and that there were delays in recognising and treating respiratory or cardiac distress. They further claim that essential emergency and resuscitation equipment may not have been readily available.

Another major complaint is that the hospital did not properly explain the risks associated with propofol and other anaesthetic drugs, meaning the parents could not give fully informed consent.

Adichie and Esege have now demanded that the hospital provide certified copies of all medical records related to their son’s treatment within seven days. These include admission notes, consent forms, anaesthetic records, drug charts, monitoring logs, nursing and ICU notes, incident reports, and details of all staff involved in the child’s care.

The hospital has also been formally instructed to preserve all evidence linked to the case, including CCTV footage, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy records, emergency equipment logs and internal communications. The lawyers warned that any tampering with or destruction of evidence would be treated as obstruction of justice.

The legal notice states that failure to comply with these demands will leave the family with no option but to pursue further legal and regulatory action against the hospital and all medical personnel involved.