Fresh Twist Emerges as Court Makes Surprise Move in Chimamanda Adichie’s Son’s Death Case

• A Lagos High Court has temporarily stopped proceedings in the coroner’s inquest into the death of Chimamanda Adichie’s son
• The hospital at the centre of the controversy is challenging the legality of the inquest and raising questions about jurisdiction
• The development has added a new layer of intrigue to a case that has continued to attract public attention

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The legal battle surrounding the tragic death of Master Nkanu Adichie-Esege, the young son of renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie and medical doctor Ivara Esege, has taken another dramatic turn.

A Lagos State High Court sitting in Osborne, Ikoyi, has ordered a temporary suspension of the coroner’s inquest investigating the circumstances surrounding the child's death.

The latest development comes months after the heartbreaking loss of the young boy, whose passing generated widespread sympathy across Nigeria and beyond.

Justice A.O. Opesanwo issued the order following an ex parte application filed by Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, operators of the Victoria Island hospital where the child reportedly died on January 7, 2026.

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The hospital is seeking a judicial review of the ongoing coroner's proceedings and has questioned whether the inquest should continue under the current circumstances.

According to court documents, the medical facility argued that the coroner may lack jurisdiction to conduct the investigation because the child's remains were allegedly cremated before the inquest commenced.

The hospital's legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Professor Taiwo Osipitan, also challenged aspects of the proceedings, particularly a directive requiring the hospital to begin presenting its defence and witnesses before other issues had been fully addressed.

Among those listed as respondents in the suit are Senior Magistrate A.A. Adetunji, the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Ivara Esege, Chimamanda Adichie, and Atlantis Pediatric Hospital Limited.

In delivering the ruling, Justice Opesanwo stated that the application before the court raised important legal questions that deserved careful examination.

According to the judge, the matter could not be dismissed as frivolous because it touched on issues of fairness and procedure.

"The application is not frivolous or vexatious. It raises issues of procedure and fairness that ought to be ventilated at the substantive stage," the court held.

As a result, all proceedings before the coroner have now been placed on hold pending further determination of the application.

The court has granted Eurapharma Care Services 14 days to file its substantive judicial review application.

Until then, the coroner's inquest remains suspended.

The matter has been adjourned until June 9, 2026, when parties are expected to return to court for further proceedings.

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