A total of three medical doctors have currently expressed their desire to fight back against their indictment in Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s son’s death.
The development comes after a series of suspensions issued by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
The regulatory body recently established a prima facie case of medical negligence and professional misconduct against the practitioners involved in the care of 21-month-old Nkanu Adichie-Esege.
The toddler, son of world-renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr. Ivara Esege, passed away in January 2026 after complications arose during a routine medical procedure in Lagos.
The panel, set up by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, announced the suspension of the Medical Director of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Dr. Tunde Majekodunmi; the hospital’s anesthesiologist, Dr. Titus Ogundare; and the Chief Medical Officer at Atlantis Pediatric Hospital, Dr. Atinuke Uwajeh, following findings of medical negligence in the treatment of 21-month-old Nkanu Adichie-Esege.
The panel said the trio would remain barred from practising medicine in Nigeria until their cases were determined by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.
The panel also announced an indictment against 10 other doctors who had some form of contact with Chimamanda Adichie’s son, while eight other doctors were cleared of any wrongdoing.
However, three doctors disagreed with the panel’s ruling and are currently seeking redress.
Speaking with the press on the condition of anonymity, one of the doctors indicted by the panel accused it of wrongly applying provisions of the Code of Medical Ethics in reaching its decision against them.
According to the doctor, the panel accused him and others of violating Rule 49(c), which he argued was incorrectly interpreted.
Checks on the Code of Medical Ethics of Nigeria revealed that Rule 49 deals with private practice by registered medical practitioners who are fully employed as consultants in the public service.
Rule 49(c) reads: “A consultant or a registered practitioner of similar status as described in (b) above shall offer in-hospital care to his private patients only within the public hospital in which he is in full employment. It is unethical for a registered practitioner in full-time employment in the public service to give in-hospital care, that is, investigatory, admission, and institutional care to patients outside the hospital in which he is in full employment.”
The doctor pointed out that Nkanu was not his private patient and that he had only been invited to provide an expert opinion.
“They said I violated Rule 49(c), which was a wrong application of the rule. The rule allows medical practitioners to use their professional skills during their free time, provided it does not clash with official duties.
“For this patient, it was on a Saturday, and I was not at work. The patient was not my private patient. Another doctor owned the patient, and I only went there to give an expert opinion,” he stated.
According to him, the doctors have petitioned the council’s leadership over the process, describing the decision as damaging to their professional reputations.
“We believe the decision of the panel was premeditated, and the rule was misapplied. The consequence is reputational injury to many of us,” he added.
The doctor also questioned why the rule was cited against practitioners who, according to him, were not public servants.
He said, “There was a consultant cardiologist who works in a private hospital in Lagos who was invited to perform a cardiograph on the patient, and Rule 49(c) was also quoted against her, even though she does not work in government service.”
He further alleged that the investigative process denied the respondents the opportunity to question the complainant.
“At the panel, the complainant was absent, but her legal counsel was present and allowed to cross-examine us. We were not given the opportunity to cross-examine the complainant or her representatives. The cross-examination was one-sided,” he said.
The doctor also criticised the council for making the panel’s findings public before formally notifying the affected doctors.
“The public statement came out on March 3, but our letters arrived on March 5. Meanwhile, the letter was dated February 25, but the DHL envelope showed it was sent on March 4, a day after the public announcement,” he said.
Another doctor affected by the panel’s findings expressed surprise at being listed among those with a case to answer, insisting that his only contact with the patient was when he was brought in.
The doctor alleged that the panel members aggressively conducted the proceedings and treated the respondents as though they were already guilty.
“The questioning was aggressive, and we were treated as if we were guilty even before the panel concluded its work,” he said.
The doctor also denied allegations that he violated several provisions of the Code of Medical Ethics, including rules relating to professional fees and employment in both public and private hospitals.
“I do not collect fees from colleagues, and I do not work in any public hospital in Lagos. So, I never violated those rules,” he said.
The medical worker described his indictment as an injustice, warning that the panel’s decision could bring Nigeria’s medical system into disrepute and discourage doctors from carrying out their responsibilities.
“This kind of injustice will not help us; it will only discourage doctors from performing their responsibilities and make people lose their respect for doctors. We have to check what is happening in medical practice. This is a mess that is being done to ridicule the profession, and it is pathetic.
“If everybody is being slapped for the same violation of rules when there was no violation by them, what would one think? Certainly, they (the panel) had ideas before we came. They wanted people suspended, they wanted us charged with misconduct, so that the person who, unfortunately, has lost her child will feel that agencies are working. But you must be fair, no matter whose ox is gored,” he said.
