Award-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has issued a legal notice to Euracare Hospital, Lagos, accusing the medical facility of negligence and professional misconduct in the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi.
Nkanu, one of Adichie’s twin boys, reportedly died on January 7, 2026, after developing complications during a series of preparatory medical procedures.
In the legal notice dated January 10, Adichie’s lawyers alleged that the attending anaesthesiologist and other medical personnel at Euracare failed in their duty of care to the child.
According to the filing, Nkanu had been transferred from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital to Euracare on January 6 to undergo urgent procedures ahead of a planned emergency medical evacuation.
The procedures listed included an echocardiogram, brain MRI, insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line), and a lumbar puncture. The child was reportedly sedated intravenously with propofol during the process.
The notice further stated that arrangements had already been made for his transfer to the United States, where a specialist team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore was prepared to receive him.
“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 document stated.
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It added that while the child was being transported from the MRI suite to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory under sedation, he developed severe complications that ultimately led to his death.
“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,” the notice read.
Adichie’s legal team outlined several alleged breaches of standard medical practice, claiming that the child was moved between clinical units without strict adherence to essential patient safety protocols. Concerns raised included possible errors in propofol dosage, inadequate airway protection, insufficient monitoring, and transportation without supplemental oxygen, appropriate equipment, or adequate medical supervision.
The notice demands that Euracare Hospital provide certified copies of all medical records related to the case within seven days. These include admission documentation, anaesthesia and drug administration charts, monitoring records, procedural notes, ICU reports, and the names of all medical personnel involved.
The hospital was also instructed to preserve all relevant evidence, including CCTV recordings, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy logs, and internal correspondence.
The legal representatives warned that any failure to comply with the request or any destruction of evidence would result in legal action and the pursuit of all available judicial remedies.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has ordered a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.