KEY POINTS

• A Lagos High Court temporarily halted the coroner’s inquest into the death of Chimamanda Adichie’s son.
• Eurapharma Care Services argues that the coroner court loses jurisdiction because the family cremated the child’s body.
• The judge granted leave for judicial review and adjourned the matter to June 9, 2026.

A Lagos State High Court sitting at Osborne, Ikoyi, has temporarily halted the coroner’s inquest into the death of Master Nkanu Adichie-Esege, the son of author Chimamanda Adichie and Dr. Ivara Esege. The suspension will hold while the court determines a judicial review application that challenges the legality of the inquest.

Hospital challenges coroner’s jurisdiction

Justice A.O. Opesanwo granted the order after hearing an ex parte application from Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, which operates a hospital in Victoria Island where the child reportedly died on January 7, 2026. A legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Taiwo Osipitan filed the application, and it sought leave to challenge decisions of the Lagos Coroner’s District Court under Senior Magistrate A.A. Adetunji.

The hospital is contesting the coroner court’s decision to proceed despite claims that the family had cremated the child’s body before the coroner’s jurisdiction took effect. Specifically, the applicant argued that the court lacked jurisdiction because the body was no longer available for examination. Furthermore, the hospital challenged a directive requiring it to open its defense and call witnesses first, even though the fourth and fifth respondents had leveled allegations of medical negligence against it. The hospital also asked the court to quash coroner court decisions made on January 21, February 25 and April 14, 2026. The suit names Magistrate Adetunji, the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, the state Attorney-General, Dr. Esege, Chimamanda Adichie and Atlantis Pediatric Hospital Limited as respondents.

Court grants leave and stays proceedings

After reviewing the motion, affidavit evidence and written submissions, Justice Opesanwo held that the application raised substantial issues. “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 ruled.

Consequently, the court granted Eurapharma Care Services leave to begin judicial review proceedings in Suit No. MCL/1/CONA/2026, seeking orders of certiorari and prohibition against the coroner court. Moreover, Opesanwo ordered that the leave operate as a stay of all further proceedings until he hears and determines the substantive application, relying on Order 44 Rule 3(6)(a) of the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019.

Finally, the court directed the applicant to file its substantive processes within 14 days and serve all respondents. The judge then adjourned the matter to June 9, 2026, for further proceedings.