Author Chimamanda Adichie Talks About Justice And Accountability In Open Letter On Son’s Death

Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has broken her silence on the death of her son. In a recent public letter, she shared the pain of losing one of her twin boys and accused a top hospital of serious mistakes that led to his death.

Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege, aged 21 months, died on January 7, 2026, at Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos. The family says he went there for routine tests and scans after a short illness. 

He was stable and set to travel to the US for more care the next day. Chimamanda Adichie claims the hospital gave her son too much sedation medicine (propofol) for the procedures and did not monitor him properly afterward.

 According her account, she said that this led to low oxygen levels, brain injury, cardiac arrest, and his death. She says the hospital failed basic safety steps and later tried to cover things up. In her letter, Chimamanda Adichie wrote that she just wants peace to mourn her child, but the hospital has made even that hard.

 She described the loss as something that has shattered her family and said her son would still be alive without what happened at the hospital. She is pushing for full accountability and justice. The hospital has expressed sympathy to the family but denies any wrongdoing. It says its care followed proper standards. Some doctors linked to the case were suspended earlier this year after a medical council review found signs of negligence. 

A coroner’s inquest into the death is ongoing but has faced delays due to court cases.