A Lagos State High Court dismisses an application by Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital to stop a coroner’s inquest into the death of Nkanu Esege, the young son of writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Outlets report that the hospital argued the planned cremation of the child’s remains makes a post-mortem examination impossible and would force the inquest to rely on speculation. It also challenged the coroner’s intended approach to taking evidence, including taking statements first from medical staff and others connected to treatment. The court rejects these claims and holds that the inquest is required under the Lagos State Coroners System Law 2007.
Several reports say the judge rules that the absence of a body does not automatically remove the coroner’s jurisdiction, and that the order of evidence is a matter of discretion for the coroner. The court describes a coroner’s inquest as a fact-finding process rather than a trial, noting it is aimed at establishing who died and the circumstances around death rather than assigning blame. The decision clears the way for the inquest to proceed after the child’s death was reported on 7 January 2026 following procedures at the hospital.
