Less than 24 hours after arriving at Euracare Hospital, our son Nkanu Nnamdi died. He was 21 months old. My wife was already planning his second birthday party and that of his twin brother. Nkanu had been referred to Euracare for diagnostic procedures, including MRI, PICC Line Insertion, and Lumbar Puncture. He was scheduled to be transferred the following day to Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States for treatment. When Nkanu arrived at Euracare, he was conscious, interactive, and had stable vital signs. Less than 24 hours later, he was dead.
Calling the loss of Nkanu devastating is an understatement. We were in a state of shock. Our family had endured too many burials recently. I had just buried my younger brother, Andrew. I could not bear another burial, especially of my own son. A parent should never have to bury a child. We were scheduled to leave Nigeria and decided to cremate our son and take him with us. I informed the Euracare Chief Medical Director of our decision and asked for a recommendation for cremation services in Lagos. He recommended Ebony Funeral Home, where Nkanu was cremated.
Initial Trust and Subsequent Concerns
Initially, we trusted Euracare. My parents-in-law had visited the hospital years ago for routine check-ups. However, we were unaware that ownership and management had changed. Iwosan Investments Limited now owns Euracare. Seeking to understand what happened to our son, we requested Nkanu's complete medical records and incident reports from Euracare. They refused to provide them, which was our first indication of animosity from the hospital. Euracare promised a full investigation but never conducted one.
Request for Inquest
In a letter dated January 28, 2026, addressed to the Chief Coroner of Lagos, we requested an inquest into our son's death. An inquest is a public judicial process to determine all facts surrounding a death, especially unusual ones. The coroner informed us that Euracare Hospital had already requested an inquest and a preliminary meeting had been held. In their application, Euracare stated that Nkanu's death was unexpected and would require an inquest. Since Euracare had initiated the process, we joined the inquest.
At the first sitting on February 25, 2026, I participated via Zoom from the U.S. It was confirmed that the body had been cremated. Euracare stated, "We are ready to proceed despite the news of cremation." During discussions on the order of presenting evidence, it was agreed that Euracare should present first, followed by us. The coroner directed: "Most inquests have the family start first for a logical sequence, but Euracare has conceded to commence, having applied for the inquest in the first place. Thus, it will be Euracare – family of the deceased – Atlantis Hospital."
Obstruction and Delays
The next inquest sitting was scheduled for April 14, 2026, for Euracare to open its case by calling witnesses. I again joined via Zoom from the U.S. Euracare was not ready to present evidence. Their counsel engaged in dramatic shouting. Euracare suddenly claimed there was no clear directive on which party should go first, which was untrue. They further argued that since Nkanu's body had been cremated, the inquest could not continue without a body. The coroner responded, "This has already been addressed at a previous sitting… Euracare was the party that initiated the inquest and had previously indicated readiness to participate fully."
The next sitting was scheduled for May 5, 2026. I prepared to give evidence in case Euracare again refused to start. I flew to Lagos from the U.S. My sister Anthea, who has been our rock, took time off work to support me. We were then informed that the Attorney General of Lagos had written a letter asking all parties to attend a meeting for restorative justice. This surprised us as we had not requested nor been consulted about restorative justice. The meeting was scheduled for May 5, 2026, the same day as the coroner's inquest. We feared this was done to derail the inquest. However, the Attorney General personally assured us that the meeting was merely to ensure the inquest would not be unnecessarily drawn out and that the inquest sitting would proceed as planned.
On the morning of May 5, 2026, I was at court, accompanied by my sister, fully prepared to testify about the death of my first son. Suddenly, a representative of the Attorney General asked the coroner to stop the inquest because the Attorney General had called a meeting. The coroner asked why she had not been notified. The representative replied, "I don't know. I am just a messenger." The coroner stated she should have been informed and questioned why such a meeting was scheduled on the same day as the inquest. She then suspended all proceedings and future dates of the inquest and walked out of the courtroom. I was stunned. Everything felt shabby and careless.
Afterward, our lawyers wrote to the chief coroner to request the inquest continue. A new date was set for June 3, 2026. On that day, I joined via Zoom from the U.S. Euracare said they had asked a High Court to stop the inquest completely and that the inquest must be paused while High Court proceedings began. Again, Euracare argued that the inquest could not continue because our son's body had been cremated. However, Section 21 of the Coroners System Law of Nigeria specifically empowers a Coroner to conduct an inquest even where a body has been destroyed or cannot be recovered. It is strange that Euracare first applied for an inquest knowing a cremation had occurred, and now backtracks, likely because they realize they cannot defend what they know to be true.
Accusations and Pain
Euracare then made a statement I consider sacrilegious. They accused my wife and me of committing a crime, claiming that by cremating Nkanu's body, we had done 'wilful destruction' to 'conceal evidence.' Euracare's counsel said: "What they did is punishable by 15 years imprisonment. The issue is whether somebody who has done something wrong under the law can push for an inquest." I could not believe what I was hearing. Only a desperate, morally bankrupt person would make such an argument. We did not perform the cremation in secret. It was the Chief Medical Officer of Euracare who recommended where we could get a cremation done. This argument is born of desperation, but it was deeply painful for me as a father to hear those words.
Our lawyers asked the coroner not to suspend the inquest indefinitely but to give a date for the next sitting. The date given was October 8, 2026, not to continue the inquest but to know the status of the High Court. This means that even if the High Court does not stop the inquest, it will still be further delayed. All we are asking for is the comprehensive truth and an acknowledgement of what happened at Euracare. As the coroner said in one of the sittings, "this inquest is inquisitorial and not adversarial, and it is aimed at ascertaining the truth, helping the family heal, and preventing a recurrence."
October 2026 would be nine months after our son's loss. If we were dealing with an honest hospital, this inquest might have been concluded by now. We deserve the peace of mind to mourn. It has been a nightmare dealing with Euracare while trying to keep life as normal as possible for our daughter and Nkanu's twin brother, and protecting my wife from much of this upheaval.
Medical Council Findings
On a separate note, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, which regulates medical practice in Nigeria, set up an Investigative Panel into Nkanu's death. By a letter dated February 25, 2026, the panel found that the Euracare Chief Medical Director, Dr. Tosin Majekodunmi, and the anaesthesiologist who administered sedation on Nkanu, Dr. Titus Ogundare, have a case of negligence to answer.
Why is Euracare and its owners, Iwosan Investments, now trying to prevent a public judicial process if not because they have something to hide? We are waiting and hoping that Euracare will not be able to use its wealth and power to stop an inquest. If this is allowed to happen, it will be a mockery and abuse of the entire judicial system. I can only imagine how many other Nigerian families must have suffered a similar fate in silence because they did not have the resources to counter adversarial actions from a powerful hospital. This is not just about us; it is about ensuring that things are done properly for everyone. Healthcare delivery in Nigeria will not improve otherwise. I never want to see another parent lose their child in such a careless way, from something completely preventable if proper procedure is followed.
Ivara Esege is a board-certified Family Physician and the husband of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. He wrote from the United States.
