Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Lagos State High Court has rejected an application by Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital seeking to stop a coroner’s inquest into the death of Nkanu Adichie-Esege, the 21-month-old son of renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Ivara Esege.
Justice Aishat Opesanwo struck out the hospital’s application on Monday, October 12, 2026, ruling that the absence of the child’s remains following cremation did not, by itself, prevent the coroner from conducting the inquest.
The hospital, operated by Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, had challenged the coroner’s jurisdiction and argued that proceeding without the body for a post-mortem examination could lead to speculative conclusions. It also objected to a directive concerning the order in which evidence would be presented.
However, the judge held that the coroner’s authority to conduct an inquest depended on the circumstances surrounding the death and the applicable provisions of the Lagos State Coroners System Law 2007, rather than the continued physical presence of the body.
Justice Opesanwo explained that a coroner’s inquest was a fact-finding exercise intended to establish who died, how the death occurred, and when and where it happened. She stressed that it was not a criminal or civil trial designed to determine guilt or punish any party.
The judge also rejected the hospital’s argument that the procedure for receiving evidence infringed on its right to a fair hearing, noting that the coroner had discretion to determine the sequence in which witnesses and evidence would be presented.
Nkanu died on January 7, 2026, at Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos after receiving medical treatment. His death prompted a legal dispute over the circumstances surrounding the incident and the subsequent inquest ordered to investigate it.
Adichie and her husband have raised allegations of medical negligence in connection with their son’s treatment. The hospital has denied wrongdoing and maintained that its medical personnel acted in accordance with appropriate medical procedures.
The hospital’s legal challenge had temporarily halted the inquest while the High Court considered its application. With the application struck out, the coroner’s proceedings are expected to continue.
The ruling does not determine whether medical negligence occurred or establish criminal liability. Those questions, if raised in the appropriate proceedings, remain separate from the coroner’s fact-finding inquiry.
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