- A Lagos High Court struck out Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital's application to halt the coroner's inquest into the death of Chimamanda Adichie's 21-month-old son
- Justice Aishat Opesanwo ruled the hospital's suit was built on a fundamental misconception of how a coroner's court operates
- Nkanu Esege died on 7 January 2026 at the Lagos hospital, with his parents alleging gross medical negligence led to his death
A Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has dismissed an application by Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital to stop a coroner's inquest into the death of Nkanu Esege, the 21-month-old son of celebrated Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Ivara Esege.
Justice Aishat Opesanwo delivered the ruling on Monday, striking out the hospital's originating motion for writs of Certiorari and Prohibition.
Source: Instagram
She held that the entire suit rested on a fundamental misreading of the nature, jurisdiction, and functions of a coroner's court.
Court clarifies scope of coroner's jurisdiction
Central to the judge's findings was the question of whether the inquest could lawfully continue without a physical body.
The hospital had argued that because Nkanu had been cremated, the absence of remains for post-mortem analysis would make any conclusions speculative and amount to a waste of state resources.
Justice Opesanwo rejected that argument outright. She clarified that under Section 15(2) of the Lagos State Coroner's System Law 2007, an inquest is mandatory when a death occurs within a medical facility. Crucially, she noted that jurisdiction is conferred by where the death took place, not by whether a corpse is physically present during proceedings.
The hospital had also contended that requiring its medical staff to present evidence first violated its constitutional right to a fair hearing under Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
The court dismissed this too, explaining that a coroner's inquest does not follow the conventional rules of evidence or assign a burden of proof the way civil or criminal trials do.
"A coroner's inquest is a fact-finding inquiry. It is not a trial. No one is on trial in a coroner's court. Unlike other courts, whether civil or criminal, there is no claimant, prosecution, or defence," Justice Opesanwo stated.
The court further ruled that the coroner holds full statutory discretion over the order in which witness statements and evidence are gathered, and that judicial review cannot be used to cut short a process mandated by state law.
Background to the Inquest
Nkanu Esege died on 7 January 2026 at Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos.
His parents subsequently accused the hospital of gross medical negligence, alleging that an excessive dose of sedatives combined with a denial of oxygen triggered cardiac arrest.
The hospital denied the claims, maintaining that the child arrived critically ill and received treatment in line with standard medical protocols.
The Lagos State Government subsequently activated a coroner's inquest to establish the full circumstances surrounding the toddler's death.
Euracare's bid to block those proceedings before they could formally commence has now failed. With the High Court's dismissal, the coroner's inquest is expected to proceed.
Source: Instagram
Adichie bagged chieftaincy title in 2023
Legit.ng had reported earlier that the renowned novelist, Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi, had become the first woman to be made a chief in Abba, Anambra State.
She was conferred with "Odeluwa" which means she who writes for the world," by HRH, Igwe Leonard Nwankwo Ezeh of Abba.
Adichie, who is also a feminist, said she is happy to know that more women will be conferred in time to come.
Source: Legit.ng