Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has taken legal action against Euracare Multispecialist Hospital, Lagos, over the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, alleging that medical negligence and professional misconduct during a series of procedures led to the tragedy.
Okay News reports that Nkanu, one of Adichie’s twin sons, died on January 7, 2026, barely a day after he was transferred to Euracare from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital for urgent preparatory procedures ahead of an emergency medical evacuation to the United States.
In a legal notice dated January 10, Adichie’s lawyers accused the attending anaesthesiologist and other medical personnel at Euracare of breaching their duty of care, arguing that critical safety standards were not followed while the toddler was under sedation.
According to the filing, Nkanu had been referred to Euracare on January 6 for a series of procedures, including an echocardiogram, a brain MRI, the insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line), and a lumbar puncture. These were required as part of preparations for his evacuation to the United States, where a specialist team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore was on standby to receive him.
The notice states that the child was sedated with propofol during the process and suffered severe complications while being moved between hospital units.
“Our clients inform us that these procedures were required as part of the preparatory process for the child’s transfer and medical evacuation to the United States, where a specialist team at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, was already on standby to receive him,” the notice reads.
“It is our further brief that sedation was administered on the child at your facility using propofol. During transport to the cath lab following the MRI procedure under intravenous sedation, the child suffered sudden and severe complications, culminating in his untimely death on the 7th of January, 2026.”
Adichie’s legal team outlined what it described as multiple lapses in care, including claims that the toddler was moved between clinical areas without strict adherence to patient safety protocols.
The notice cited concerns over possible dosing errors with propofol, inadequate airway protection, lack of continuous monitoring, and movement without oxygen support, proper equipment, or sufficient medical personnel present.
As part of the legal action, Euracare Hospital has been given seven days to provide certified copies of all medical records related to Nkanu’s care. The request covers admission notes, anaesthetic charts, drug administration logs, monitoring records, procedural and ICU notes, and the identities of all staff involved.
The hospital has also been instructed to preserve all evidence, including CCTV footage, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy records, and internal communications, with a warning that any failure to comply or destruction of evidence could trigger further legal proceedings.
Amid the growing public concern, the Lagos State Government has also ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the toddler’s death.
