Chimamanda Adichie Breaks Silence, Blames Son’s Death on Negligence

*Hospital says reports of incident inaccurate, launches investigation

Sunday Okobi and Sunday Ehigiator

A renowned Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who lost her 21-month-old twin son, Nkanu Nnamdi Esege, at the Euracare Multispecialist Hospital on January 7, 2026, after a brief illness, has expressed rage at the incident at the hospital that allegedly led to his demise.

Meanwhile, the Euracare Multispecialist Hospital has denied what it termed inaccuracies in reports circulating about the incident.
The hospital, which also announced that it had launched an investigation, expressed deep sympathy to the renowned writer and her family over the painful loss.
In a private message sent to family and friends, which was sighted by THISDAY yesterday, Adichie narrated that: “We were in Lagos for Christmas. Nkanu had what we first thought was just a cold, but it soon turned into a very serious infection, and he was admitted to Atlantis Hospital.

“He was to travel to the United States the next day being January 7, accompanied by Travelling Doctors. A team at Johns Hopkins was waiting to receive him in Baltimore, US. The Hopkins team had asked for a lumbar puncture test and an MRI. The Nigerian team had also decided to put in a ‘central line’ (used to administer IV medications) in preparation for Nkanu’s flight. Atlantis Hospital referred us to Euracare Hospital, which was said to be the best place to have the procedures done.”
She stated further that the morning of January 6, “we left Atlantis Hospital, Lagos, for Euracare Hospital, also in Lagos, while Nkanu was carried in his father’s arms. We were told he would need to be sedated to prevent him from moving during the MRI and the ‘central line’ procedure.

“I was waiting just outside the theatre. I saw people, including a medical doctor at the hospital known as Dr. M, rushing into the theatre, and immediately I knew something had happened.
“A short time later, Dr. M came out and told me that Nkanu had been given too much propofol by the anesthesiologist, and had become unresponsive and was quickly resuscitated. But suddenly, Nkanu was on a ventilator; he was intubated and placed in the ICU. The next thing I heard was that he had seizures. A cardiac arrest. All these had never happened before. Some hours later, Nkanu was gone.”

The mourning parent, who lamented that she would never survive the loss of her child, noted in the message that it turned out that “Nkanu was never monitored after being given too much propofol. The anesthesiologist had just casually carried Nkanu on his shoulder to the theatre; so, nobody knows when exactly Nkanu became unresponsive.”
She queried in the statement that: “How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him? Later, after the ‘central line’ procedure, the anesthesiologist casually switched off Nkanu’s oxygen and again decided to carry him on his shoulder to the ICU!
“The anesthesiologist was criminally negligent. He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child. No proper protocol was followed.

“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. I will never survive the loss of my child.
“We have now heard about two previous cases of this same anesthesiologist overdosing on children. Why did Euracare allow him to keep working? This must never happen to another child.”

Nkanu Nnamdi was one of Chimamanda’s twin sons with her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, born in 2024.
The news of Nkanu Nnamdi’s passing has sparked an outpouring of sympathy from writers, academics, and admirers across Africa, Europe, and North America.

Hospital Debunks Inaccuracies in Reports of Incident

However, the Euracare Multispecialist Hospital has denied what it termed inaccuracies in some reports circulating about the incident.
In a statement issued by its management, the hospital extended its “deepest sympathies” to the family, noting that the loss of a child is “beyond words.”

 The hospital, however, said it was necessary to clarify what it termed inaccuracies in some reports circulating about the incident.
According to Euracare, the deceased was critically ill and had been referred to its facility for specific diagnostic procedures after receiving treatment for a period of time at two paediatric centres.

It stated that upon the patient’s arrival, its internationally trained clinical team immediately provided care in line with established clinical protocols and internationally accepted medical standards, including the administration of sedation where clinically indicated.
 The hospital added that it worked collaboratively with external medical teams as recommended by the family and ensured that all necessary clinical support was provided.

“Despite these concerted efforts, the patient sadly passed away less than 24 hours after presenting at our facility,” the statement said.
It further disclosed that it has commenced a detailed investigation in line with its clinical governance standards and best practices, stressing its commitment to transparency and responsible engagement with all clinical and regulatory processes.