Adichie accuses Euracare Hospital of negligence over son’s death

…As medical body probes allegations

Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has accused Euracare Hospital in Lagos of medical negligence in the circumstances surrounding the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, allegations that have now drawn the attention of the Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists (NSA).

ARISE News reported on Saturday that it reached out to Adichie’s media team, who confirmed that she authored a detailed statement outlining the events that led to her son’s death. According to her representatives, the message was initially shared privately with family members and a few close friends before becoming public.

In the statement, Adichie said her son “would be alive today if not for an incident at Euracare Hospital on January 6,” where he was taken for an MRI scan and the insertion of a central line ahead of a planned medical evacuation to the United States.

She explained that her family had been in Lagos for the Christmas holidays when Nkanu developed what was first believed to be a cold but later worsened into a serious infection, resulting in his admission at Atlantis Hospital. Plans had already been made for the child to travel to the US on January 7, accompanied by travelling doctors, with a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore prepared to receive him.

According to Adichie, the Johns Hopkins team requested an MRI and a lumbar puncture, prompting Atlantis Hospital to refer the family to Euracare Hospital, which was described to them as the most suitable facility to conduct the procedures. She added that the Nigerian medical team also decided to insert a central line in preparation for the flight.

Read also: Chimamanda Adichie, husband lose son

Adichie said her son was sedated with propofol to prevent movement during the MRI and central line procedures but was not properly monitored after the drug was administered. She alleged that the anaesthetist gave an excessive dose, causing Nkanu to become unresponsive.

“A short time later, I was told Nkanu had been given too much propofol by the anaesthesiologist, had become unresponsive and was quickly resuscitated,” she said.

She stated that Nkanu was subsequently placed on a ventilator, intubated, and admitted to the intensive care unit, where he later developed seizures and suffered cardiac arrest.

“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. Cardiac arrest. All these had never happened before. Some hours later, Nkanu was gone,” Adichie said.

The author further alleged that her son was not monitored after sedation and described the actions of the anaesthetist as criminally negligent, claiming that proper medical protocols were not followed.

“It turns out that Nkanu was never monitored after being given too much propofol. How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him?” she said, adding that the anaesthetist allegedly switched off her son’s oxygen after the procedure and carried him to the ICU without adequate care.

Adichie also claimed that the family later learned of previous incidents involving the same anaesthetist overdosing children, questioning why Euracare Hospital allowed the practitioner to continue working.

“This must never happen to another child,” she said.

The allegations have prompted scrutiny from the Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists. Its national president, Prof. Alhassan Mohammed, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the body is monitoring the situation and awaiting further details before commenting conclusively.

Mohammed said any investigation would focus on verifying the registration status of the individuals and facilities involved, compliance with approved scopes of practice, adherence to medical protocols, and whether negligence contributed to the incident.

“The hospital involved is likely to conduct its own investigation by reviewing patient records and documented evidence. There may also be an independent investigative panel, depending on whether the family chooses to pursue the matter further,” he said.

Nkanu Nnamdi died on January 7, 2026, after a brief illness, according to an official family statement issued by Omawumi Ogbe of GLG Communications, which requested privacy for the family during the period of mourning.

Following the announcement of the child’s death, several prominent Nigerians, including president Bola Tinubu, former vice president Atiku Abubakar and former presidential candidate Peter Obi, expressed condolences to Adichie and her family.

As of the time of filing this report, Euracare Hospital had not issued a public response to the allegations.