Renowned Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has revealed details of how alleged medical negligence killed her son, Nkanu Nnamdi in a Lagos Hospital.
In a statement issued to the press, Adichie said that the alleged medical negligence that killed her 21-month-old son occurred on January 6, 2026, at Euracare Hospital in Victoria Island, Lagos State.
She explained that her son was taken for routine procedures ahead of a planned medical evacuation to the United States.
Nkanu, one of Adichie’s twin sons born via surrogacy in 2024, initially fell ill during the family’s Christmas visit to Lagos State.
The writer said that with arrangements already in place for an emergency transfer to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on January 7 she decided to complete necessary diagnostic tests, including an MRI scan, lumbar puncture, and insertion of a central line for IV medications.
Atlantis Hospital referred them to Euracare, described as one of the city’s premier facilities for such interventions.
According to Adichie’s emotional account, the tragedy unfolded during sedation for these procedures.
She alleged that the anesthesiologist administered an excessive dose of propofol, failed to monitor the child adequately afterward, and ignored basic medical protocols.
She explained: “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, and he was admitted to Atlantis Hospital.
“He was to travel to the US the next day, January 7th, accompanied by traveling doctors. A team at Johns Hopkins was waiting to receive him in Baltimore. The Hopkins team had asked for a lumbar puncture test and an MRI.
“The Nigerian team had also decided to put in a ‘central line’ (used to administer IV medications) in preparation for Nkanu’s flight. The morning of the 6th, we left Atlantis Hospital for Euracare, Nkanu carried in his father’s arms.
“We were told he would need to be sedated to prevent him from moving during the MRI and the ‘central line’ procedure. I was waiting just outside the theatre. I saw people, including Dr M, rushing into the theatre and immediately knew something had happened.
“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.
“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.
“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 knew when exactly Nkanu became unresponsive.
“How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him? 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!
“The anesthesiologist was CRIMINALLY negligent. He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child. No proper protocol was followed.
“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.
“We have now heard about two previous cases of this same anesthesiologist overdosing children. Why did Euracare allow him to keep working?”
