"I long for, at least, peace to mourn, but Euracare Hospital has robbed me even of that" – Author Chimamanda Adichie writes after court stalled inquest into son’s death

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has shared a moving statement expressing her dissatisfaction with the way Euracare has handled her son’s death, particularly their handling of the inquest into his death. 

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The renowned author and her husband Dr. Ivara Esege lost their son Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege on January 7, 2026, while he was admitted to Euracare hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. 

Earlier this month, the Lagos State High Court halted the coroner’s inquest into the death of 21-month-old Nkanu Adichie-Esege (read here). 

Taking to her social media accounts today, June 13, Chimamanda accused Euracare of frustrating their quest for justice by “asking a High Court to stop the inquest”. 

She shared a letter she wrote to Euracare in April 16, 2026, following the death of her son. She said that since the letter was sent to the hospital in April, “Euracare has become uglier”. 

In the letter to Euracare, the author wrote lovingly about her first son, giving a glimpse into who he was. She also shared how his death has affected her family, including his older sister and his twin brother. 

She added in the letter: “Losing a child is a parent’s worst nightmare. The least any parent who has suffered such a loss deserves is the peace and privacy to grieve. Euracare has deprived us of that. We have instead had to contend with actions from Euracare that have poisoned – and continue to poison – our mourning. 

She went on to give a step-by-step account of what transpired on January 6th, when her son was brought into the hospital until he di£d on January 7th. 

She wrote: “When Nkanu came to Euracare that morning for tests, he was conscious and talking and interactive. He was sick but he was not critical. After the anesthesiologist gave him sedation for his MRI, Nkanu never woke up. That was not meningitis. That was the result of his sedation with propofol. We cannot allow an untruth to be on this important document that will be a part of us for the rest of our lives. His death certificate must be corrected immediately. 

“From what we know, the primary cause of death would be: improper sedation, hypoxic brain injury, cardiac arrest.” 

Chimamanda shared how the hospital’s medical director visited their home in Ikoyi a day after their son’s death and admitted that “errors” were made “by the anesthesiologist”. He accepted full responsibility and promised to fire the anesthesiologist. 

She said she also asked for her son’s full medical records and was told they would receive it the following day. 

However, she said that everything soon “changed” and the medical director refused to send the medical record as promised. 

She added: “To our shock, Euracare put out an adversarial press release in the Nigerian media.” 

She stated that she later discovered that the anesthesiologist had been fired from another hospital. 

“Euracare must have known of this when hiring him,” Ms. Adichie wrote. 

She said she later learned that the anesthesiologist “had been negligent in the care of another child who was then flown to the UK and fortunately survived.” 

She went on to add: “Euracare seems to be playing a monstrous cynical game – to delay and stall. It is horrific that Euracare would choose tactics more suited to amoral situations. 

“This is not about a ‘dispute.’ This is about the loss of a precious child. This is about the grief of a family broken by that loss. The process demands dignity and transparency.” 

Sharing the letter, Chimamanda Adichie wrote in the caption: “I wake up every single morning with my heart racing. Did this really happen? My precious son, Nkanu Nnamdi. My KanKan, my diokpala. The ultimate and utter loneliness of grief is that only you can know the true depth of your despair. I long for, at least, peace to mourn, but Euracare Hospital has robbed me even of that. 

“I have decided to make this letter public because to keep silent about Euracare’s evil is to enable it. I do not want anyone mentioned to be personally targeted. I have erased two names and left two for clarity and credibility. Since the letter was sent in April, Euracare has become uglier. 

“It was Euracare which first applied for an inquest in January, stating that our son’s death was unexpected and an inquest was in their interest because of ‘rumours of negligence.’ Yet they have stalled and muddied and obfuscated. If this is how Euracare manages a crisis, it is little wonder it mismanaged our precious son’s care. Most egregiously, Euracare is now asking a High Court to stop the inquest. An inquest is a public judicial inquiry designed to establish the circumstances surrounding a death. It is not a trial. It is not a claim for damages. It is simply a search for the truth. If Euracare cares about the truth, then why create delays and distractions and now, finally, try to stop an inquest? 

“A person high up in the hospital ownership told my relative – “I admire and respect Chimamanda so much that I don’t want her to go to court because her name may be dragged in the mud and bad things may be said about her since court cases are about winning and anybody would do anything to win.” What a manipulative and implicitly threatening message to send to a parent whose child died in your hospital. But this threatener does not know how fiercely we love our child. They can drag all they wish in the mud, but our quest for justice will continue. I am deeply grateful to all of the people from across the world who have genuinely wished us well. May you find comfort in your own time of need. Please continue to pray for us. This weight is too heavy.”