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Chimamanda Adichie: Hospital Seeks to Stop Inquest Into Son’s Death
Chimamanda Adichie: Hospital Seeks to Stop Inquest Into Son’s Death
A Lagos State High Court has fixed October 12, 2026, to rule on an application by Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, operators of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, seeking to halt the coroner’s inquest into the death of Chimamanda Adichie’s son, Nkanu Adichie-Esege.
Justice Aishat Opesanwo fixed the date after hearing arguments from the hospital, Nkanu’s parents and other parties involved in the legal dispute.
The hospital is challenging the continuation of the coroner’s inquest, which is examining the circumstances surrounding the death of the 21-month-old child at Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos on January 7, 2026.
Eurapharma is seeking judicial review orders, including certiorari, to quash decisions already made by the coroner and prohibition, to restrain the coroner, Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji, from continuing with the proceedings.
One of the hospital’s key arguments concerns the fact that Nkanu’s remains were cremated, which it argues prevents a post-mortem examination and affects the coroner’s ability to proceed with the inquest.
The hospital has also challenged the procedure adopted by the coroner regarding the presentation of evidence, particularly a direction requiring Euracare to present its case before the family of the deceased.
Eurapharma’s counsel, Taiwo Osipitan, SAN, argued that the hospital should not be required to open its case before the family, which has raised allegations concerning the medical care provided to Nkanu, first presents its evidence.
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However, lawyers representing Chimamanda Adichie and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, urged the High Court to dismiss the hospital’s application.
Their counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, argued that the application was premature because the coroner had not made any substantive decision capable of being challenged through judicial review.
Pinheiro also disputed the argument that the cremation of Nkanu’s remains deprived the coroner of jurisdiction.
He relied on provisions of the Lagos State Coroners System Law, including Sections 21 and 31, arguing that an inquest could proceed even where a body was unavailable for inspection.
The lawyer described the inquest as a fact-finding process rather than a criminal trial, stressing that the coroner’s proceedings do not determine criminal guilt or impose criminal liability.
He argued that the coroner’s eventual findings would be submitted to the appropriate authorities, including the Lagos State Attorney-General and the Director of Public Prosecutions, for any further action considered necessary.
The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, also urged the court to dismiss the hospital’s application.
Counsel representing Atlantis Paediatric Hospital Limited similarly opposed the application and argued that the issue concerning the order of evidence had already been addressed during proceedings before the coroner.
According to the arguments presented in court, parties had previously agreed that the family would lead evidence first, although the hospital had earlier agreed to commence its case because it was the party that initially sought the inquest.
The dispute is not the first time the Chimamanda Adichie son death inquest has faced a legal challenge.
In June, the Lagos State High Court granted Eurapharma leave to commence judicial review proceedings and temporarily stayed further proceedings before the coroner pending determination of the substantive application.
The hospital had argued that the coroner acted without jurisdiction and had also challenged procedural decisions made during the inquest.
The coroner’s proceedings began after Nkanu died at Euracare in January following medical treatment. His parents subsequently raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding his treatment and alleged breaches of the duty of care.
The family has alleged possible medical negligence, while Euracare has denied wrongdoing and described the allegations as inaccurate and unfounded.
Earlier reports on the case said the child had been referred to Euracare for diagnostic procedures and that arrangements were being made for further treatment abroad.
The family has maintained that it wants the inquest to establish the circumstances surrounding Nkanu’s death and provide answers about the medical care he received.
The current court proceedings, however, are focused on whether the coroner can lawfully continue with the inquest and whether the hospital’s complaints about the procedure and the cremation of the remains provide grounds for judicial intervention.
Justice Opesanwo is expected to determine the hospital’s application on October 12, 2026.
The ruling will determine the immediate legal direction of the coroner’s inquest into Nkanu Adichie-Esege’s death, while the underlying allegations of medical negligence remain unresolved.
Chimamanda Adichie: Hospital Seeks to Stop Inquest Into Son’s Death
metro
Trump Denies Offering Iran Sanctions Relief, Release of Frozen Funds
Trump Denies Offering Iran Sanctions Relief, Release of Frozen Funds
US President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for concrete concessions on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Trump rejected the reports on Monday, describing them as false after Axios reported, citing unnamed US officials, that his administration was willing to provide sanctions relief and release Iranian funds as part of a potential deal.
“This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
CNN separately reported, also citing an unidentified US official, that Trump was prepared to offer similar concessions if Iran demonstrated concrete progress on the nuclear issue.
The conflicting reports emerged as US and Iranian officials engaged separately with mediators in a renewed diplomatic effort aimed at ending the seven-month conflict between Washington and Tehran.
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran is prepared to negotiate over its nuclear programme and other issues but would not accept what he described as pressure or coercion.
Iran maintains that it is not seeking nuclear weapons and insists it has the right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also said that diplomacy remains the route to resolving the conflict, while Tehran has linked any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to the fulfilment of conditions under discussion with mediators.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a major issue in the negotiations because it is a crucial route for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Disruptions linked to the conflict have contributed to higher energy prices and increased concerns about global supplies.
Trump had rejected an earlier Iranian proposal concerning the reopening of the waterway, while Araghchi said Tehran was awaiting a formal response through mediators.
The latest disagreement over the reported sanctions offer adds uncertainty to the diplomatic efforts, with Washington and Tehran yet to announce a final agreement on the nuclear programme or the broader conflict.
Trump Denies Offering Iran Sanctions Relief, Release of Frozen Funds
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Federal Workers Back N500 Petrol Demand, Threaten Three-Day Warning Strike
Federal Workers Back N500 Petrol Demand, Threaten Three-Day Warning Strike
Federal workers have backed the demand by organised labour for a reduction in the pump price of petrol to N500 per litre, warning that they will join a proposed three-day warning strike if the Federal Government fails to address their concerns.
The Federal Workers Forum (FWF) announced its position in a communiqué issued on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, after an online general meeting of federal workers held on Sunday.
The workers said they unanimously supported the call by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) for the Federal Government to reduce the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, to N500 per litre.
The JNPSNC had given the Federal Government until September 30, 2026, to respond to its demands, which include a reduction in petrol prices, an immediate wage award and a review of salaries and allowances across the public service.
The Federal Workers Forum said its members were prepared to participate in the proposed three-day warning strike if the government failed to act.
The group also called for any reduction in petrol prices to be reflected in the prices of kerosene, diesel and cooking gas, arguing that high energy costs were contributing to the wider cost-of-living crisis.
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The workers said the current price of petrol was placing additional pressure on households through higher transportation, food and other living costs.
They also backed labour’s demand for an immediate Wage Award, which they said should be converted into a reasonable Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to provide continuing relief to workers.
The forum argued that workers’ incomes had been eroded by rising prices and called for urgent measures to restore their purchasing power.
Beyond the immediate wage relief, organised public-sector workers are seeking the commencement of negotiations for a new National Minimum Wage ahead of January 2027.
The JNPSNC has proposed a minimum monthly salary of N500,000 for an officer on Grade Level 01, Step 1 under the proposed 2027 salary structure.
The council also wants salaries and allowances across federal, state and local government services to be harmonised and periodically reviewed in line with inflation.
The Federal Workers Forum had previously called for an upward review of the current N70,000 minimum wage, saying rising food, fuel, transportation and housing costs had reduced its purchasing power.
The workers also criticised reliance on food palliatives as a response to the economic hardship, arguing that a reduction in petrol prices would have a wider impact because transportation and the cost of moving goods are closely linked to fuel costs.
The forum urged Nigerians to support organised labour’s campaign for lower petrol prices and said federal workers should mobilise for any industrial action approved by labour leadership.
The group further backed proposals for greater use of Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity, including making crude oil available to local refineries in naira and expanding national petroleum storage capacity.
It said such measures could strengthen energy security, create economic value and reduce the country’s exposure to fluctuations in international oil prices.
The latest position by federal workers adds pressure to an already tense labour-government relationship as the September 30 deadline approaches.
However, the workers’ statement does not mean that a nationwide strike has already commenced. Their commitment is to participate in the proposed three-day warning strike if the labour leadership calls the action and the government fails to address the outstanding demands.
The Federal Workers Forum also expressed hope that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would address the concerns in his forthcoming Independence Day broadcast.
The government’s response to the workers’ demands, particularly on petrol prices, wage relief and negotiations for a new minimum wage, is expected to determine the next steps by organised labour.
Federal Workers Back N500 Petrol Demand, Threaten Three-Day Warning Strike
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Hamzat Clarifies Lagos Traffic ‘Lifestyle’ Remark After Backlash
Hamzat Clarifies Lagos Traffic ‘Lifestyle’ Remark After Backlash
Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat has clarified his controversial description of Lagos traffic as a “lifestyle”, saying the remark was taken out of context and was not intended as an endorsement of persistent gridlock.
Hamzat made the original comment while speaking at Podfest Naija 2026, where he discussed storytelling, the creative industry and how Lagos residents consume digital content during their daily journeys.
Using the experience of commuters on the Third Mainland Bridge as an example, Hamzat said traffic had become part of everyday life in Lagos. He also linked the long hours residents spend commuting to the growing consumption of podcasts, music, films and other digital content.
He specifically referred to journeys between Ojota and Obalende, suggesting that many Lagos residents listen to podcast episodes and consume other creative content while travelling through the city’s heavily congested roads.
The remarks generated criticism on social media, with some people interpreting the “lifestyle” description as an indication that the Lagos State Government considered traffic congestion a normal condition that residents should accept.
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Hamzat subsequently addressed the controversy, explaining that he was speaking about the relationship between Lagos traffic and the creative industry, rather than discussing the causes of congestion, road design or suggesting that traffic should be regarded as desirable.
He also questioned how his remarks had been connected to separate criticisms of the state’s traffic situation.
Hamzat said he decided to clarify the remarks after seeing how excerpts from his speech were interpreted on social media.
The controversy has nevertheless renewed discussion about the impact of Lagos traffic congestion on commuters, businesses and productivity.
Lagos remains one of Nigeria’s busiest urban centres, with long commuting times forming part of the daily experience for many residents, particularly along major routes during peak periods.
The deputy governor’s remarks also highlighted the opportunities created by the city’s large and diverse audience for podcasters, filmmakers, musicians, writers and other content creators.
His argument was that the time residents spend travelling has contributed to increased consumption of creative content, creating opportunities for the industry to reach audiences during daily commutes.
The Lagos State Government has continued to promote investments in rail transportation, waterways, road construction, junction improvements and intelligent traffic management as part of efforts to improve mobility across the state.
The debate has therefore shifted beyond the wording of Hamzat’s “lifestyle” remark to broader questions about Lagos traffic, urban mobility and the challenges faced by residents who spend significant time commuting.
Hamzat Clarifies Lagos Traffic ‘Lifestyle’ Remark After Backlash
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