The Lagos State High Court sitting at 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 Dr. Ivara Esege.
Justice A.O. Opesanwo granted the order after hearing an ex-parte application filed by Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, the operators of the hospital in Victoria Island where the child reportedly died on January 7, 2026. The hospital is represented by a legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan.
The hospital is challenging the coroner court’s decision to proceed with the inquest. It argues that the coroner lacks jurisdiction because the body of the deceased had already been cremated before the coroner’s proceedings began, making any postmortem examination impossible.
Named 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 Ngozi Adichie, and Atlantis Pediatric Hospital Limited.
Among other reliefs, Eurapharma Care Services is seeking orders of certiorari to quash the coroner court’s decisions made on January 21, February 25, and April 14, 2026, as well as orders of prohibition to stop further proceedings in the inquest.
After reviewing the application, Justice Opesanwo held that the matter raised substantial issues of procedure and fairness that deserve full judicial consideration. The judge ruled that the application is neither frivolous nor vexatious.
Consequently, the court granted leave to the hospital to commence judicial review proceedings and ordered that the leave itself shall operate as a stay of all further proceedings before the coroner’s court, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application.
The court has directed the applicant to file its substantive judicial review processes within 14 days and ensure proper service on all respondents. The matter has been adjourned to June 9, 2026, for further proceedings.
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