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 Nkanu Adichie-Esege, the son of writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr Ivara Esege, pending the determination of a judicial review application challenging the legality of the inquest.
Justice A.O. Opesanwo granted the order following an ex parte application filed by Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, operators of Euracare Hospital, Victoria Island, where the child reportedly died on January 7, 2026.
The application, brought through a legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, sought leave to challenge decisions of the Lagos Coroner’s District Court presided over by Senior Magistrate A.A. Adetunji.
The hospital is contesting the coroner court’s decision to proceed with the inquest despite claims that the deceased’s body had been cremated before the coroner’s jurisdiction was activated.
It also argued that the coroner lacked jurisdiction to continue proceedings because the body was allegedly no longer available for examination, and further challenged the directive requiring the hospital to open its defence and call witnesses first during the inquest.
In its ruling, the court held that the application raised substantial issues that warranted judicial consideration, noting that it was neither frivolous nor vexatious.
“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,” Justice Opesanwo ruled.
The court consequently granted leave for judicial review and ordered that the leave shall operate as a stay of further proceedings in the coroner’s inquest pending the determination of the substantive application.
The judge directed the applicant to file its substantive processes within 14 days and serve all respondents, while adjourning the matter to June 9, 2026, for further hearing.