Renowned Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has accused a Lagos-based private hospital of medical negligence following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, describing the incident as a preventable tragedy caused by grave professional lapses.
Adichie’s son died on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, after what she said was a brief but rapidly worsening illness. In an emotional statement shared on social media on Saturday, the author alleged that critical failures during a medical procedure at Euracare Hospital in Lagos directly led to her son’s death.
She said the toddler had been taken to Euracare on January 6 for an MRI scan and the insertion of a central line, preparatory procedures requested by doctors in the United States ahead of his planned medical evacuation.
“My son would be alive today if not for an incident at Euracare Hospital on January 6th,” Adichie said, alleging that her child was sedated with propofol but was not properly monitored afterward, leading to severe complications.
According to her account, the family had travelled to Lagos for Christmas when the child developed what initially appeared to be a cold, but later “turned into a very serious infection.”
“We were in Lagos for Christmas. Nkanu had what we first thought was just a cold, but soon turned into a very serious infection, and he was admitted to Atlantis Hospital,” she explained.
Adichie said arrangements had already been made for her son to be flown to the United States the following day, January 7, with travelling doctors, noting that a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore was on standby to receive him.
“The Hopkins team had asked for a lumbar puncture test and an MRI,” she said.
She added that Atlantis Hospital referred the family to Euracare, which they were told was “the best place” to carry out the procedures.
“The Nigerian team had also decided to put in a ‘central line’ (used to administer IV medications) in preparation for Nkanu’s flight,” she said, recounting how they left Atlantis Hospital on the morning of January 6, with her son carried in his father’s arms.
Adichie said she was informed that sedation was required to prevent movement during the MRI and central line insertion, and that she waited just outside the theatre during the procedure.
“I was waiting just outside the theatre. I saw people, including Dr M, rushing into the theatre and immediately knew something had happened,” she said.
She alleged that she was later told the anesthesiologist had administered an excessive dose of propofol to her son.
“A short time later, Dr M came out and told me Nkanu had been given too much propofol by the anesthesiologist, had become unresponsive and was quickly resuscitated,” Adichie stated.
According to her, her son was then placed on a ventilator, intubated and moved to the intensive care unit, where his condition rapidly deteriorated.
“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,” she said.
Adichie further alleged that her son was not monitored after sedation and accused the anesthesiologist involved of gross professional misconduct.
“It turns out that Nkanu was never monitored after being given too much propofol. The anesthesiologist had just casually carried Nkanu on his shoulder to the theatre, so nobody knows when exactly Nkanu became unresponsive,” she said.
She also claimed that after the central line procedure, proper protocol was again ignored.
“Later, after the ‘central line’ procedure, the anesthesiologist casually switched off Nkanu’s oxygen and again decided to carry him on his shoulder to the ICU,” she added.
Describing the conduct as unacceptable, Adichie said, “The anesthesiologist was CRIMINALLY negligent. He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child. No proper protocol was followed.”
She stressed that her son had been unwell but stable and was scheduled to travel abroad for advanced care the next day.
“We brought in a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day for what were meant to be routine procedures,” she said. “And suddenly, our beautiful little boy was gone forever. It is like living your worst nightmare. I will never survive the loss of my child.”
Adichie also claimed the family later became aware of previous incidents involving the same anesthesiologist.
“We have now heard about two previous cases of this same anesthesiologist overdosing children,” she said, questioning the hospital’s oversight. “Why did Euracare allow him to keep working? This must never happen to another child.”
As of the time of filing this report, Euracare Hospital had not publicly responded to the allegations.
