- The Coroner’s Court sitting at the Igbosere Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday halted the inquest into the death of 21-month-old Nkanu Adichie-Esege.
- Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji rebuked Lagos State Attorney-General Lawal Pedro (SAN) for taking steps to halt proceedings without formally notifying the court.
- The magistrate ruled that the Attorney-General does not have the power to direct the court, emphasizing that the judiciary is not under the Ministry of Justice.
The Coroner’s Court at the Igbosere Magistrates’ Court has suspended further hearings in the inquest into the death of Master Nkanu Adichie-Esege, the son of renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr. Ivara Esege.
The suspension, announced on Tuesday, remains in place pending further directives from the Chief Coroner, Justice Mojisola Dada.
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Coroner Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji halted the proceedings after the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), requested a postponement to facilitate a meeting between his office and all counsel involved in the matter.
Magistrate Adetunji described the Attorney-General’s actions as “appalling,” criticizing the ministry for communicating with legal parties to reschedule meetings and stall the judicial process without first informing the court.
She stated that under the principle of separation of powers, the executive branch cannot direct the judiciary’s schedule.
Counsel for the parents, Adeyinka Aderemi (SAN), informed the court that the parents were present and ready to proceed, with the child’s father prepared to testify, before the hearing was effectively truncated by the eleventh-hour notice from the Ministry of Justice.
The inquest follows the tragic death of the child on January 7, 2026, after undergoing diagnostic procedures, including an MRI scan and lumbar puncture, at Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital.
He had been referred there from Atlantis Paediatric Hospital while arrangements were being made to transfer him to the United States for further care.
In response to the court’s ruling, Attorney-General Lawal Pedro (SAN) denied that his office intended to interfere with the judicial process, explaining that the invitation to counsel was part of a routine effort to improve the efficiency of coroners’ inquests in Lagos State and avoid the long delays seen in previous cases.
