Chimamanda’s son: Court Rejects Euracare Hospital’s Bid To Stop Inquest
The Lagos State High Court sitting in Osborne Foreshore, Ikoyi, on Monday struck out an application by Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, operators of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, seeking to stop the coroner’s inquest into the death of Nkanu Esege, son of celebrated Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie, and her husband Dr Ivara Esege.
Justice Aishat Opesanwo, in her ruling, struck out the application after holding that the coroner was legally required to conduct the inquest and that the cremation of the deceased’s body did not invalidate the decision to proceed with the inquiry, adding that the inquiry was a statutory fact-finding exercise.
At the last proceedings on September 28, 2026, the judge adjourned the case until October 12, 2026, to rule on the application of Euracare, after taking arguments from parties in the matter.
The hospital had challenged the jurisdiction of the coroner, arguing that the absence of the deceased’s body within the coroner’s district deprived the coroner of the authority to conduct the inquest.
The hospital had dragged the coroner, Atinuke Adetunji; the Lagos Coroner’s District Court; the Chief Coroner of Lagos State; the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN); Dr Ivara Esege; Chimamanda Adichie; and Atlantis Paediatric Hospital Limited before the court over the judicial review of the proceedings.
The applicant also challenged the coroner’s decision to proceed with the inquest despite the absence of the deceased’s body from the coroner’s district following its cremation.
It also questioned the coroner’s decision to receive statements and evidence from medical personnel and other witnesses associated with the medical facility where the deceased had received treatment before hearing from other interested parties.
It also contended that the decision to receive evidence from medical personnel and other interested parties in a particular sequence violated its constitutional right to a fair hearing.
However, Justice Opesanwo held that the application was based on a misunderstanding and misconception of the natural causes.
