A Coroner sitting at the Yaba Magistrate Court has adjourned until April 14, 2026, the commencement of the inquest into the death of 21-month-old Nkanu, son of renowned author Ms. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr. Ivara Esege.

Magistrate Mrs. Atinuke Adetunji fixed the date on Wednesday when the matter came before the court.

When the case was called, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, appeared for the family, while Mr. Adebola Rahman represented the Attorney-General of Lagos State. Mrs. Cheluchi Onyemelukwe, of Health Ethics and Law Consulting, represented Atlantis Hospital. Another counsel appeared for Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital.

During a preliminary meeting with the parties, Adetunji disclosed that the court received an application from the Chief Coroner of Lagos State following a request by the state’s Attorney-General that an inquest be conducted.

She noted that the Lagos State Government also considers itself bereaved.

“The Lagos State Government is also bereaved; that is why the Attorney-General has taken this step. It is not just the family of the deceased that is affected,” she said.

The magistrate explained that the preliminary session was convened to determine whether a formal inquest would proceed. She directed all parties to file their witness statements before the next adjourned date and urged caution in approaching the proceedings, stressing that the court’s objective was to determine the cause of the incident.

On the issue of an autopsy, Adetunji stated: “For every inquest, the starting point is that there must be an autopsy done to give us a professional report.”

Pinheiro urged the court to proceed with the hearing, maintaining that the parents believe their child’s death was unnatural and occurred during medical intervention. He said the family would present evidence alleging gross medical negligence, possible overdose, wrongful prescription, improper administration of propofol, and wrongful diagnosis.

According to him, the family intends to call five independent medical experts — an anaesthesiologist, a paediatric anaesthesia specialist, a radiologist, an intensivist — as well as the child’s father, who is also a medical doctor.

Pinheiro further asked the court to direct Euracare to preserve all physical and electronic evidence from January 6, 2026, including CCTV footage, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy records, emergency equipment logs, internal communications, and morbidity and mortality reviews.

He proposed that Euracare open the hearing, followed by the family, and then Atlantis Hospital. The magistrate ruled that Euracare would proceed first, followed by the family and then Atlantis.

Earlier, Onyemelukwe told the court that Atlantis would present its account of events, adding that she only became aware of the court appearance on Tuesday after receiving a letter.

Rahman said that following news of the child’s death, the Attorney-General applied for an inquest.

“Since all the parties are here, we would be asking the court to open the hearing. We pray this court to commence with the hearing,” he said.

The court will reconvene on April 14, 2026, to commence the substantive hearing.

Nkanu Adichie died on January 7, 2026, after receiving care at Atlantis Hospital and undergoing medical procedures at Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos.

He had initially been admitted to Atlantis for what was described as a worsening but initially mild illness. While arrangements were being made to transfer him to Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States, Atlantis referred him to Euracare for pre-flight diagnostic procedures, including an MRI scan, a lumbar puncture, and the insertion of a central line.

The child died following the procedures.

His parents have alleged medical negligence and professional misconduct in connection with his death.

In a legal notice dated January 10, 2026, issued by the law firm led by Pinheiro (SAN), Adichie and her husband accused Euracare, its anaesthesiologist, and other attending medical personnel of breaching the duty of care owed to their son.

The notice stated that the child, born on March 25, 2024, was referred to Euracare on January 6, 2026, for diagnostic and preparatory procedures ahead of an emergency medical evacuation to the United States, where a specialist team was reportedly on standby.

The procedures reportedly included an echocardiogram, a brain MRI, the insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter, a lumbar puncture, and intravenous sedation using propofol.

The parents alleged that the child developed sudden and severe complications while being transported to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory after the MRI.

The notice raised concerns about cumulative dosing of propofol in a critically ill child, inadequate airway protection during deep sedation, failure to ensure continuous physiological monitoring, transfer without supplemental oxygen or adequate monitoring, insufficient accompanying medical personnel, alleged unavailability of basic resuscitation equipment, delayed recognition and management of respiratory or cardiovascular distress, and failure to comply with established paediatric anaesthesia and patient-transfer safety standards.