…Adichie alleged that her son was never properly monitored after sedation
LAGOS, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has accused Euracare Hospital of medical negligence in the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, who passed away on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
According to ARISE News, Adichie’s media team confirmed that the statement, which she originally shared privately with family and close friends, was authored by her.
In the statement, Adichie explained that her son was taken to Euracare Hospital for an MRI scan and the insertion of a central line. He was sedated during the procedures but was allegedly left unmonitored after receiving propofol, which led to complications including loss of responsiveness, seizures, and ultimately cardiac arrest. She claimed that her son “would be alive today if not for an incident at Euracare Hospital on January 6th.”
Adichie recounted that the family had been in Lagos for Christmas when Nkanu initially showed signs of what they believed was a common cold, which quickly developed into a severe infection requiring admission at Atlantis Hospital.
“Nkanu was scheduled to travel to the U.S. the next day, January 7th, with medical accompaniment. A team at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore was ready to receive him, and they had requested a lumbar puncture and MRI,” she said.
Following Atlantis Hospital’s referral, the family went to Euracare Hospital, which was recommended as the best facility for the procedures. The Nigerian medical team also planned to insert a central line in preparation for Nkanu’s trip. On the morning of January 6, Nkanu was carried to Euracare by his father.
Adichie described how she waited outside the theatre and saw medical staff rushing out, realizing something had gone wrong. She was informed that her son had been given an excessive dose of propofol by the anesthesiologist, rendering him unresponsive.
“He was quickly resuscitated but placed on a ventilator, intubated, and moved to the ICU, where he suffered seizures and cardiac arrest. Hours later, Nkanu passed away,” she said.
Adichie alleged that her son was never properly monitored after sedation, calling the anesthesiologist’s actions “criminally negligent.” She said, “How can you sedate a sick child and fail to monitor him? After the central line procedure, the anesthesiologist switched off Nkanu’s oxygen and carried him on his shoulder to the ICU. The anesthesiologist was fatally casual and careless with a child’s life. No proper protocol was followed.”
She added that the procedures were routine, involving a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day. The family reportedly learned that the same anesthesiologist had allegedly overdosed children in two previous cases, raising questions about how he was allowed to continue working.
Reacting to requests for comment, a spokesperson for Euracare Hospital said, “Whatever information you need, you get it between us and Chimamanda. Thank you.”
Earlier reports confirmed that the child died following a brief illness. Following the announcement of Nkanu’s death, several prominent Nigerians, including President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former presidential candidate Peter Obi, extended their condolences to Adichie and her family.
