Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has alleged medical negligence in the circumstances surrounding the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, who died on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
ARISE News reported on Saturday that it contacted Adichie’s media team, which confirmed that she authored the statement detailing the incident. According to her representatives, the account was initially shared privately with family members and close friends.
In the statement, Adichie said her son was taken to Euracare Hospital for an MRI scan and the insertion of a central line, procedures that required sedation. She alleged that after being administered propofol, Nkanu was not properly monitored, leading to severe complications including loss of responsiveness, seizures and cardiac arrest.
She stated that her son “would be alive today if not for an incident at Euracare Hospital on January 6th.”
Adichie explained that her family had been in Lagos for Christmas when Nkanu developed symptoms they initially believed were a common cold, which later progressed into what she described as a “very serious infection.” He was subsequently admitted to Atlantis Hospital.
“We were in Lagos for Christmas. Nkanu had what we first thought was just a cold, but it soon turned into a very serious infection,” she said.
According to her, arrangements had already been made for Nkanu to travel to the United States on January 7, accompanied by medical personnel, with a team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore prepared to receive him. The US-based doctors requested a lumbar puncture and an MRI as part of his evaluation.
Adichie said Atlantis Hospital referred them to Euracare Hospital, which was recommended as the appropriate facility to carry out the procedures. The Nigerian medical team also decided to insert a central line in preparation for the flight.
On the morning of January 6, she said the family moved Nkanu from Atlantis to Euracare, where he was sedated to prevent movement during the MRI and central line insertion.
“I was waiting just outside the theatre. I saw people, including Dr M, rushing into the theatre and immediately knew something had gone wrong,” she said.
Adichie stated that she was later informed that her son had been administered an excessive dose of propofol by the anesthesiologist, causing him to become unresponsive before he was resuscitated.
Shortly afterwards, she said, Nkanu was placed on a ventilator, intubated and admitted to the intensive care unit. He later developed seizures and suffered cardiac arrest.
“All these things had never happened before. Some hours later, Nkanu was gone,” she said.
She further alleged that her son was not monitored after sedation and described the anesthesiologist’s conduct as “criminally negligent.”
“It turns out that Nkanu was never monitored after being given too much propofol. Nobody knows when exactly he became unresponsive,” she alleged, adding that proper medical protocols were not followed during and after the procedures.
Adichie said her family brought a child who was “unwell but stable” to the hospital for what were meant to be routine procedures, only to lose him unexpectedly.
“And suddenly, our beautiful little boy was gone forever. It is like living your worst nightmare,” she said.
She also claimed the family later learned of previous incidents involving the same anesthesiologist and questioned why he was still practising.
“We have now heard about two previous cases of this same anesthesiologist overdosing children. Why did Euracare allow him to keep working?” she asked, adding that such an incident “must never happen to another child.”
When contacted for comment, a spokesperson for Euracare Hospital declined to address the allegations directly, stating: “Whatever information you need, you get it between us and Chimamanda. Thank you.”
The Telegraph had earlier reported that the 21-month-old died after 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 — expressed condolences to Adichie and her family.
