The tragic death of Nkanu Nnamdi Esege, the 21-month-old son of renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr Ivara Esege, has taken a contentious turn. The child's aunt, a highly qualified physician, has issued a damning rebuttal to the hospital's official account, alleging severe breaches of medical protocol.
A Detailed Rebuttal from the Family
On Saturday, 10 January 2026, Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital released a statement addressing the incident. This prompted a forceful response from the child's aunt, Dr Anthea Esege Nwandu. In a press release, Dr Nwandu, a dual board-certified Internal Medicine physician with over three decades of experience in Nigeria and the United States, accused the hospital of presenting "inconsistencies and false claims."
She directly challenged Euracare's suggestion that the family's narrative contained inaccuracies. "In their press statement, Euracare claims that there are inaccuracies in the account of how my nephew passed. Which inaccuracies exactly?" she demanded.
Alleged Deviations from International Standards
Dr Nwandu systematically disputed several key points from the hospital's statement. First, she countered the claim that the child had been at two paediatric centres before arriving at Euracare, stating "This is false. He was in one hospital before coming to Euracare for the procedures."
She then firmly rejected Euracare's assertion that care was provided "in line with established clinical protocols and internationally accepted medical standards." Dr Nwandu outlined what she described as multiple critical failures:
- Failure to provide continuous oxygen therapy for a sedated child on oxygen, which she says the hospital verbally confirmed to her.
- No continuous monitoring of the child's blood oxygen levels, pulse, or respiration during the procedure.
- Absence of resuscitative equipment during internal transfers within the hospital.
"Since there was no monitoring, is it possible to accurately document when the child stopped breathing or for how long he was pulseless before he was resuscitated? No," she argued, questioning the reliability of the medical records.
Questions Over Post-Sedation Handling and Transfer
Dr Nwandu's account included startling details about the child's handling after sedation. She alleged that an anesthesiologist carried the sedated child on his shoulder, unable to see him, with no monitoring, while insisting on being alone in the elevator.
Furthermore, she claimed that during the transfer to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the child's oxygen supply was disconnected. "To transfer the child to the ICU, the anesthesiologist disconnected his oxygen and again carried him on his shoulder. Is that standard practice? No," she stated.
Dr Nwandu emphasized that her nephew was medically stable at the time of the incident and had already been scheduled for an evacuation flight to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for further care.
Credibility and Ongoing Scrutiny
Dr Anthea Esege Nwandu's professional credentials lend weight to her allegations. She is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, and holds a Master of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
In response to the growing controversy, Euracare has stated that it is reviewing the matter. The case has sparked significant public scrutiny regarding medical standards and accountability in private healthcare facilities in Nigeria.
The nation mourns with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her family during this period of unimaginable grief. This tragic incident has raised urgent questions about patient safety protocols and the adherence to international care standards in critical paediatric cases.
