Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Acclaimed Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has made a deeply distressing public allegation of medical negligence against a Lagos hospital following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi. In an account confirmed by her media team, Adichie says the tragedy occurred after what should have been routine medical procedures at Euracare Multispecialist Hospital in Victoria Island, and she has called for accountability and urgent scrutiny of the care her son received.
According to the detailed account that was shared publicly after first being circulated privately among close family and friends, the family had travelled to Lagos for the Christmas holidays when Nkanu developed symptoms initially believed to be a common cold. His condition quickly deteriorated into a “very serious infection,” prompting his admission to Atlantis Hospital. There were plans to evacuate him to the United States for further specialist treatment on January 7, 2026, where a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore was awaiting him and had requested diagnostic procedures including an MRI scan and a lumbar puncture.
Adichie’s statement recounts that Atlantis Hospital referred the family to Euracare Hospital, which was described to them as well-equipped for the required procedures. On January 6, Nkanu was sedated ahead of the planned MRI and the insertion of a central line for intravenous medication. Adichie says she was waiting outside the operating theatre when she noticed hospital staff, including a doctor identified as Dr. M, rushing back and forth — a moment she said immediately signalled that something had gone wrong.
In her account, Adichie said she was later told by medical staff that her son had been given an excessive dose of the anaesthetic propofol by the anaesthesiologist, rendering him unresponsive. Although hospital staff reportedly resuscitated him, he was placed on a ventilator, intubated, and admitted to the intensive care unit. His condition subsequently worsened with seizures and cardiac arrest, leading to his death several hours later.
Adichie has sharply criticised the conduct of the anaesthesiologist and the medical team, alleging that critical monitoring was neglected after sedation. She described the actions of the anaesthesiologist as “criminally negligent,” questioning how such a serious procedure could proceed without continuous observation of her son’s condition. She also alleged that after the central line procedure, the anaesthesiologist switched off Nkanu’s oxygen before transporting him to intensive care — a claim that underscores her assertion that established medical protocols were breached.
In a particularly harrowing detail from her account, Adichie contended that her son was carried on the anaesthesiologist’s shoulder during parts of his care, meaning no one was continuously monitoring his vital signs at crucial moments. “How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him?” she asked in her statement, which she said was authored by her and confirmed by her media team. “We brought in a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day for routine procedures. And suddenly, our beautiful little boy was gone forever.”
Adichie further alleged that she and her family later learned of at least two previous incidents involving the same anaesthesiologist overdosing children, raising troubling questions about why the doctor was still practising without corrective action. “We have now heard about two previous cases of this same anaesthesiologist overdosing children,” she said. “Why did Euracare allow him to keep working? This must never happen to another child.”
The tragic loss has sparked widespread sympathy, with many public figures and ordinary Nigerians expressing condolences to Adichie and her family. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former presidential candidate Peter Obi are among those who have publicly offered their support during this period of mourning.
In response to the allegations, Euracare Hospital has issued a statement expressing sympathy to Adichie’s family while disputing claims of negligence and emphasising that all care provided was in line with established clinical protocols and international medical standards. The hospital said it has launched a detailed investigation consistent with clinical governance practices and reiterated its commitment to transparent engagement with regulatory and clinical review processes, though it acknowledged that some reports in circulation may be inaccurate.
The Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists (NSA) has also indicated it is monitoring the situation, and discussions are underway regarding the conduct and registration of the medical professionals involved as part of an independent review of the allegations.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, widely acclaimed for works such as Half of a Yellow Sun, Americanah and Purple Hibiscus, has not only lost one of her twin sons but has now thrust issues of medical standards, patient safety, and professional accountability into the Nigerian public discourse. Her decision to speak out reflects a determination to ensure that no family experiences similar heartbreak due to alleged lapses in clinical care.
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