The court has dismissed an application by a hospital seeking to halt an inquest into the death of Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s son.
The ruling clears the way for the inquest to proceed as authorities seek to establish the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
The application was filed by Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, operators of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, where 21-month-old Nkanu Esege died on January 7, 2026.
Delivering judgment on Monday, October 12, 2026, Justice Aishat Opesanwo of the Lagos State High Court said “that the absence of the child’s body following cremation did not deprive the coroner’s court of jurisdiction to conduct the inquest”.
The hospital had argued that proceeding without the body for a post-mortem examination could lead to speculative conclusions. It also challenged the procedure for receiving evidence from medical personnel and other parties.
However, the judge explained that a coroner’s inquest is a fact-finding exercise aimed at establishing the circumstances surrounding a death, rather than a criminal or civil trial designed to apportion blame or punish anyone.
The ruling is expected to allow the inquest into Nkanu’s death to proceed, with the aim of determining the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Court rejects hospital’s bid to halt inquest into death of Chimamanda Adichie’s son