Adichie Accuses Euracare Hospital Of Criminal Negligence In Son’s Death

…Says Son Casually Carried Without Stretcher To Theatre

Renowned Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has accused Euracare Hospital in Lagos of criminal negligence over the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi.

In a statement by her media team, Adichie alleged that medical lapses and reckless handling by an anaesthesiologist led to the tragedy.

According to Adichie, her son would still be alive but for what she described as a series of fatal errors during routine medical procedures carried out on January 6, 2026.

She said her family had travelled to Lagos for the Christmas holidays when the toddler developed what initially appeared to be a mild cold but later worsened into a serious infection, leading to his admission at Atlantis Hospital.

According to her, plans were already in place for Nkanu to be flown to the United States the next day, January 7, accompanied by travelling doctors, with a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore awaiting his arrival.

She explained that the American doctors requested a lumbar puncture and an MRI scan, while the Nigerian medical team also decided to insert a central line to prepare him for the flight. Atlantis Hospital subsequently referred the family to Euracare Hospital to carry out the procedures.

Adichie recounted that on the morning of January 6, her son was taken to Euracare in his father’s arms and was sedated ahead of the MRI and central line insertion.

“I was waiting just outside the theatre, I saw people, including Dr M, rushing into the theatre and immediately knew something had happened,” she said

She also said she was later informed that her son had been given an excessive dose of propofol by the anaesthesiologist, became unresponsive and had to be resuscitated.

What followed, she added, was a series of medical emergencies including intubation, admission into the ICU, seizures and eventually cardiac arrest.

“Some hours later, Nkanu was gone,” she said.

Adichie further alleged that her son was never properly monitored after the sedative overdose, claiming that the anaesthesiologist casually carried the sedated child on his shoulder into the theatre, leaving uncertainty about when exactly he became unresponsive.

“How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him?” she asked.

She also accused the same medical officer of switching off her son’s oxygen after the central line procedure and again carrying him casually on his shoulder to the ICU instead of using a stretcher.

Describing the actions as reckless, Adichie said: “The anaesthesiologist was criminally negligent. He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child. No proper protocol was followed.”

She maintained that her son had been unwell but stable and had only been taken in for what she described as basic procedures ahead of his medical evacuation.

“We brought in a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day. We came to conduct basic procedures. And suddenly, our beautiful little boy was gone forever. It is like living your worst nightmare,” she said.

The author further claimed that she later learned of two previous cases in which the same anaesthesiologist allegedly overdosed children, questioning why Euracare Hospital allowed him to continue practising.

“This must never happen to another child,” she said.

The allegations come days after Adichie and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, made an initial announcement on the death of their son, who was one of their twin boys.

In a statement issued by their communications team and signed by Omawumi Ogbe, the family stated: “We’re deeply saddened to confirm the passing of one of Ms Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr Ivara Esege’s twin boys, Nkanu Nnamdi, who passed on Wednesday, 7th of January 2026, after a brief illness. He was 21 months old.”

The family had appealed for privacy, noting that no further statements would be made as they mourned their loss.

Following the announcement, President Bola Tinubu sent a condolence message to the celebrated author and her family, describing the death of a child as one of life’s most devastating tragedies.

“With a deep sense of grief, I condole with Ms Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, and the entire family on the passing of their son, Nkanu Nnamdi,” the President said.

Drawing from personal experience, Tinubu added that no grief compares to the pain of losing a child and assured the family of his prayers and solidarity during the difficult period.