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, the son of renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and medical doctor Dr. Ivara Esege.
Justice A.O. Opesanwo granted the order following 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 was filed through a legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, seeking leave to challenge several decisions made by the Lagos Coroner’s District Court, presided over by Senior Magistrate A.A. Adetunji.
At the center of the dispute is the hospital’s objection to the coroner court’s decision to continue an inquest into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death. Eurapharma Care Services argued that the body of the deceased had already been cremated before the coroner’s jurisdiction was invoked, making further proceedings legally questionable.
The respondents listed in the suit include Senior Magistrate Adetunji, the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Ivara Esege, Chimamanda Adichie, and Atlantis Pediatric Hospital Limited.
In its court filings, the hospital also challenged a directive from the coroner court requiring it to open its defence and call witnesses first, despite allegations of medical negligence and misconduct reportedly raised against it by some of the respondents.
The applicant is seeking judicial review orders, including certiorari to quash decisions made by the coroner court on January 21, February 25, and April 14, 2026, as well as prohibition orders to prevent further proceedings in the inquest.
After reviewing the application and supporting documents, Justice Opesanwo ruled that the case raised significant legal questions that deserved full 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 stated.
The court subsequently granted leave for Eurapharma Care Services to commence judicial review proceedings and ordered that the leave should operate as a stay of all further proceedings before the coroner court pending the determination of the substantive application.
Justice Opesanwo also directed the applicant to file its substantive processes within 14 days and ensure service on all parties involved.
The matter has been adjourned until June 9, 2026, for further proceedings.