Renowned Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has accused a Lagos-based medical facility of negligence in connection with the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, who passed away on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
ARISE News reported on Saturday that Adichie’s media representatives confirmed she authored a detailed statement describing the events leading up to her son’s death. According to them, the message was initially shared privately with close family members and friends before becoming public.
In the statement, Adichie alleged that her son was taken to Euracare Hospital for an MRI scan and the placement of a central line, procedures that required sedation. She claimed that after the anesthetic drug propofol was administered, her son was not adequately monitored, which resulted in severe complications, including seizures and cardiac arrest.
Adichie stated that her son “would still be alive” if not for what she described as a tragic incident at Euracare Hospital on January 6, when he was brought in for what she believed were routine medical procedures.
She explained that her family had travelled to Lagos for the Christmas holidays when Nkanu developed symptoms that initially appeared to be a mild cold but later worsened into a serious infection. He was admitted to Atlantis Hospital, where plans were made for him to be flown to the United States for advanced treatment.
According to her, Nkanu was scheduled to travel on January 7 with medical escorts, while specialists at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore were on standby to receive him. The US medical team requested that an MRI scan and lumbar puncture be carried out before the transfer.
Adichie said Atlantis Hospital referred them to Euracare Hospital, which was described to her as the most suitable facility to perform the procedures. She added that doctors also decided to insert a central line to prepare her son for the journey.
On the morning of January 6, she said her husband carried Nkanu from Atlantis Hospital to Euracare. The medical team informed her that sedation was necessary to prevent movement during the MRI and central line insertion.
While waiting outside the operating theatre, Adichie recalled noticing unusual activity as several medical personnel rushed inside, immediately alerting her that something had gone wrong.
She said she was later informed that the anesthesiologist had administered an excessive amount of propofol, causing her son to become unresponsive before emergency resuscitation efforts were carried out.
Following the incident, Nkanu was placed on a ventilator, intubated, and transferred to the intensive care unit. Adichie stated that he subsequently developed seizures and suffered cardiac arrest complications he had never experienced prior to the procedure.
“Within hours, our son was gone,” she said, describing the loss as devastating and unbearable.
Adichie further alleged that her son was left without proper monitoring after sedation and described the anesthesiologist’s conduct as grossly negligent. She claimed that no one could determine when her son lost consciousness because he was not continuously observed after receiving the anesthetic.
She also alleged that the anesthesiologist casually handled her son during transfers between units and even disconnected his oxygen without appropriate safeguards.
According to her, the family brought a child who was ill but stable for procedures they believed were standard and low-risk, only to lose him unexpectedly.
Adichie revealed that the family later learned of previous incidents involving the same anesthesiologist and questioned why the hospital allegedly allowed him to continue practicing despite past complications.
She called for accountability, stressing that no other family should experience a similar tragedy.
When contacted for a response, Euracare Hospital declined to comment in detail, stating only that any discussion on the matter should remain between the hospital and Adichie.
Newsmaxng had earlier reported that the toddler died following a brief illness. In the wake of the announcement, prominent Nigerians, including President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, publicly expressed their condolences to Adichie and her family.
