- Court Suspends Inquest Into Death Of Chimamanda Adichie’s Son
- Hospital challenged legality of inquest over cremation of body.
- Court ruled application raised substantial issues for consideration.
The Lagos State High Court sitting in Osborne, Ikoyi, has ordered a temporary suspension of proceedings in the coroner’s inquest into the death of Master Nkanu Adichie-Esege, son of renowned author Chimamanda Adichie and Dr. Ivara Esege.
Justice A.O. Opesanwo granted the order pending the determination of a judicial review application challenging the legality of the inquest proceedings.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the ruling followed an ex parte application filed by Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, operators of a hospital in Victoria Island where the child reportedly died on January 7, 2026.
The application, filed through a legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, sought leave to challenge certain decisions taken by the Lagos Coroner’s District Court presided over by Senior Magistrate A.A. Adetunji.
At the centre of the dispute is the hospital’s objection to the continuation of the inquest into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death. The hospital argued that the deceased’s body had been cremated before the coroner’s jurisdiction was invoked, making further proceedings legally questionable.
Listed as respondents in the suit are Senior Magistrate A.A. Adetunji, the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, Dr. Ivara Esege, Chimamanda Adichie, and Atlantis Pediatric Hospital Limited.
In its application, Eurapharma Care Services maintained that the coroner’s court lacked jurisdiction to continue with the inquest because the body of the deceased was no longer available for examination.
The hospital also challenged the coroner court’s directive requiring it to open its defence and call witnesses first during the proceedings, despite allegations of medical negligence and misconduct having been made against it by some of the respondents.
Among the reliefs sought, the applicant requested orders of certiorari to quash decisions made by the coroner’s court on January 21, February 25, and April 14, 2026. It also sought an order prohibiting further proceedings in the inquest pending the outcome of the judicial review.
After reviewing the motion, affidavit evidence, and written submissions, Justice Opesanwo held that the application raised substantial legal issues that warranted judicial consideration.
“The Court is satisfied that the Applicant has met the threshold for the grant of leave. The application is after all not frivolous or vexatious. It raises issues of procedure and fairness that ought to be ventilated at the substantive stage,” the judge ruled.
The court subsequently ordered a temporary halt to the coroner’s inquest pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application.
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