A Lagos State High Court sitting in Osborne, Ikoyi, has ordered a temporary halt to proceedings in the coroner’s inquest into the death of Master Nkanu Adichie-Esege, son of acclaimed author Chimamanda Adichie and Dr. Ivara Esege.
Justice A.O. Opesanwo issued the order pending the determination of a judicial review application challenging the legality of the inquest.
The ruling followed an ex parte application filed by Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, operators of a Victoria Island hospital where the child reportedly died on January 7, 2026.
The application, filed through a legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, seeks to challenge decisions taken by the Lagos Coroner’s District Court presided over by Senior Magistrate A.A. Adetunji.
Eurapharma Care Services is contesting the coroner court’s decision to proceed with an inquest into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death, arguing that the deceased’s body had been cremated before the coroner’s jurisdiction was invoked.
Named as respondents in the suit are Senior Magistrate Adetunji, the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Ivara Esege, Chimamanda Adichie, and Atlantis Pediatric Hospital Limited.
The hospital further argued that the coroner’s court lacked jurisdiction to continue the proceedings because the body was no longer available for examination. It also challenged a directive requiring it to open its defence and call witnesses first, despite allegations of medical negligence and misconduct made against it by the fourth and fifth respondents.
Among the reliefs sought are orders of certiorari to quash decisions made by the coroner court on January 21, February 25, and April 14, 2026, as well as an order of prohibition restraining further proceedings in the inquest.
In his ruling, Justice Opesanwo held that the application raised substantial issues requiring judicial consideration.
“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.
The court consequently granted leave for Eurapharma Care Services to commence judicial review proceedings seeking orders of certiorari and prohibition against decisions made in Suit No. MCL/1/CONA/2026.
Justice Opesanwo further ordered that, pursuant to Order 44 Rule 3(6)(a) of the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, the leave granted would operate as a stay of all further proceedings before the coroner court pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application.
The applicant was directed to file its substantive judicial review processes within 14 days and serve all respondents accordingly.
The matter was adjourned until June 9, 2026, for further proceedings.