Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Ivara Esege, have urged the Lagos State High Court to dismiss a suit by Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital seeking to stop the coroner’s inquest into the death of their 21-month-old son, Nkanu Adichie-Esege.
Their counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, made the application on Monday, arguing that the hospital’s suit was premature.
He told the court that the coroner had not made any finding or reached any conclusion that the High Court could review.
Nkanu, one of Adichie’s twins, died on January 7, 2026, after complications during a series of preparatory medical procedures at Euracare.
A coroner sitting in the Igbosere Magisterial District, Yaba, began an inquest into the circumstances of his death in February. During the proceedings, it emerged that the child’s remains had been cremated, raising questions over whether his body would be available for forensic examination.
Euracare subsequently approached the High Court for a judicial review of the coroner’s assumption of jurisdiction and the manner in which the inquest was initiated and conducted. The hospital specifically challenged the coroner’s jurisdiction, given that the body had been cremated before the inquest began.
In June, the court ordered a temporary halt to the inquest pending the outcome of the judicial review. The coroner then adjourned proceedings until October.
What was argued on Monday
Pinheiro told the court the inquest was still at a preliminary stage, with no witness having testified and no evidence formally tendered. He argued that Euracare’s application sought to pre-empt a decision the coroner had yet to make.
Relying on Section 21 of the Lagos State Coroners’ System Law, the senior lawyer said the law allows an inquest to proceed even where a body has been destroyed or cannot be recovered. According to him, the absence of Nkanu’s remains does not by itself strip the coroner of jurisdiction.
The Lagos State Attorney-General, Lawal Pedro, also urged the court to dismiss the suit.
But Euracare’s counsel, Taiwo Osipitan, argued that the hospital should not be compelled to present its evidence first, since the complainant, who alleged medical incompetence, had yet to present its case.
After hearing the parties, Justice Aisat Opesanwo reserved ruling until October 12, 2026.
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