Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and her husband, Ivara Esege, have urged the Lagos State High Court to dismiss a suit filed by Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital seeking to halt a coroner’s inquest into the death of their 21-month-old son, Nkanu Adichie-Esege.
Their counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, made the application on Monday, describing the hospital’s suit as premature.
Pinheiro argued that the coroner had not made any finding or reached any conclusion capable of being subjected to judicial review by the High Court.
Nkanu, one of Adichie’s twins, died on January 7, 2026, following complications arising during a series of preparatory medical procedures at Euracare Hospital.
In February, a coroner sitting in the Igbosere Magisterial District in Yaba commenced proceedings to investigate the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
During the proceedings, it emerged that Nkanu’s remains had been cremated, raising questions about the availability of the body for forensic examination.
The development prompted Euracare to approach the Lagos State High Court, seeking a judicial review of the coroner’s assumption of jurisdiction and the manner in which the inquest was initiated and conducted.
The hospital’s suit specifically challenged the coroner’s jurisdiction in circumstances where the child’s remains had been cremated before the commencement of the inquest.
In June, the High Court ordered a temporary halt to the inquest pending the determination of the judicial review proceedings. Following the order, the coroner adjourned the proceedings until October.
Monday’s proceedings
At Monday’s hearing, Pinheiro told the court that the coroner’s proceedings remained at a preliminary stage, with no witness having testified and no evidence having been formally tendered.
He argued that Euracare’s application for judicial review sought to pre-empt a decision that the coroner had yet to make.
The senior lawyer also relied on Section 21 of the Lagos State Coroners’ System Law, arguing that the provision permits an inquest to proceed even where a body has been destroyed or cannot be recovered.
According to Pinheiro, the absence of Nkanu’s remains did not, in itself, deprive the coroner of jurisdiction to investigate the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
The Lagos State Attorney-General, Lawal Pedro, also urged the court to dismiss Euracare’s suit.
However, counsel to Euracare, Taiwo Osipitan, argued that the hospital should not be compelled to present its evidence first when the complainant, who had alleged medical incompetence, had yet to present its case.
After hearing arguments from the parties, Justice Aisat Opesanwo reserved ruling on the application until October 12, 2026.
