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Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie has issued a legal notice to Euracare Hospital, alleging medical negligence and professional misconduct in connection with the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi.
Nkanu, one of Adichie’s twin sons, died on January 7, 2026, after developing complications during a series of medical procedures at the Lagos-based hospital.
In the notice dated January 10, Adichie’s lawyers said the attending anaesthesiologist and other medical staff breached their duty of care. The document alleges that failures in patient safety and clinical protocol led to the child’s death.
According to the filing, the child had been referred to Euracare on January 6 from Atlantis Paediatric Hospital for urgent preparatory procedures ahead of an emergency medical evacuation to the United States.
The procedures included an echocardiogram, a brain MRI, insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line), and a lumbar puncture.
The legal notice said the child was sedated intravenously with propofol and that a specialist team at Johns Hopkins Hospital was on standby to receive him.
The document stated that during transportation from the MRI suite to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory, while still under sedation, the child suffered sudden and severe complications that resulted in his death.
“It is our further belief 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 lawyers listed several alleged lapses in care, including moving the child between clinical areas without proper safety measures.
They raised concerns about possible errors in propofol dosing, inadequate airway protection, lack of continuous monitoring, and transporting the child without supplemental oxygen, appropriate equipment, or sufficient medical personnel.
The notice requires Euracare Hospital to provide certified copies of all medical records related to the case within 7 days. These include admission notes, anaesthetic and drug administration charts, monitoring logs, procedural records, ICU notes, and the names of all staff involved in the child’s care.
The hospital was also instructed to preserve all evidence connected to the case, including CCTV footage, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy records and internal communications.
The notice warned that failure to comply or any destruction of evidence would result in legal action.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has ordered an investigation into the allegations surrounding the child’s death.
