The Lagos State High Court has allowed a coroner’s inquest into the death of Nkanu Esege, son of celebrated Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, to proceed after rejecting an application by Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, operator of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, to halt the inquiry.
The hospital contended that the cremation of Nkanu’s remains had made a post-mortem examination impossible and stripped the coroner of jurisdiction to continue. Nkanu died on 7 January 2026 after undergoing medical procedures, leading to an investigation into the circumstances of his death. Ruling on the application, Justice Aishat Opesanwo said an inquest is required where the circumstances surrounding a death fall within the conditions established by the Coroners System Law of Lagos State 2007. She held that the absence of the body did not, by itself, prevent the inquiry or render it speculative.
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Justice Opesanwo also dismissed the hospital’s objections over the handling of statements and other evidence from medical personnel, noting that the coroner has discretion in managing the proceedings. She emphasised that a coroner’s inquest is a fact-finding process designed to determine who died and establish how, when and where the death occurred. It is not a criminal trial aimed at deciding guilt or assigning responsibility. The ruling clears the way for the inquest to continue.
