Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who recently lost her 21-month-old son, has released a statement detailing the circumstances surrounding his tragic death, alleging fatal medical errors and negligence at a Lagos hospital.
ARISE News confirmed with Adichie’s media team that she authored the statement, which was originally shared privately with family members and a few close friends.
Adichie’s statement reads, “My son would be alive today if not for an incident at Euracare Hospital on January 6th.
“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 scheduled to travel to the US the next day, January 7th, accompanied by Travelling Doctors. A team at Johns Hopkins was waiting to receive him in Baltimore.
“They had requested a lumbar puncture and an MRI. The Nigerian medical team had also decided to insert a ‘central line’ (used to administer IV medications) in preparation for Nkanu’s flight. Atlantis Hospital referred us to Euracare Hospital, which was said to be the best place to have these procedures done,” she said.
She further stated that, “On the morning of January 6th, we left Atlantis Hospital for Euracare, with 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 ‘central line’ procedure.
“I was waiting just outside the theatre when I saw people, including Dr M, rushing in. I immediately knew something had gone wrong.
READ ALSO: Peter Obi Sympathises With Chimamanda Adichie Over Tragic Loss of 21-Month-Old Son
“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, intubated, and placed in the ICU. Then he suffered seizures and cardiac arrest. All these had never happened before. Some hours later, Nkanu was gone.
“It turns out Nkanu was NEVER properly monitored after receiving the overdose. The anesthesiologist had casually carried him on his shoulder to the theatre, so nobody knows exactly when he 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 carried him on his shoulder to the ICU!
“The anesthesiologist was CRIMINALLY negligent—fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child. No proper protocol was followed.
“We brought in a child who was unwell but stable, scheduled to travel the next day, to conduct basic procedures. 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 learned of two previous cases involving this same anesthesiologist overdosing children. Why did Euracare allow him to continue working? This must never happen to another child,” The statement concluded.
Parallel Facts earlier reported that renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, lost one of their twin sons, Nkanu Nnamdi, after a brief illness.
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