The Lagos State High Court sitting at Osborne Foreshore on Monday adjourned until September 28, 2026, the hearing of a judicial review application challenging the proceedings of the Coroner’s Inquest into the death of Master Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege, the 21-month-old son of renowned author Chimamanda Adichie and Dr. Ivara Esege.
Justice Aishat Opesanwo fixed the date after counsel to the applicant, Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, informed the court that several respondents had recently served processes on the applicant, necessitating time to file appropriate responses.
When the matter came up for hearing, counsel to the applicant, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), told the court that although the case was scheduled for hearing, the applicant had only recently been served with several processes and required time to respond.
“I began to receive processes from the first to third respondents on Friday. We were still attending to those processes when the fourth to sixth respondents served us this morning,” Osipitan said.
He added, “We have to reply to the objections of the respondents, and they will need to reply to our response. We also need to reply on points of law to the processes filed by the fourth to sixth respondents.”
According to him, all parties had come to the conclusion that the matter could not proceed as scheduled.
“In view of the processes we were served on Friday and today, we will be asking for an adjournment to enable us respond. The parties have suggested September 28, 2026,” he told the court.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), who appeared for the first to third respondents, confirmed the proposed date.
“My Lord, just to confirm, that is what we agreed on, subject to the court’s convenience,” Pedro said.
Following submissions by counsel, Justice Opesanwo adjourned the matter until September 28, 2026, for hearing.
The suit arose from the decision of the Coroner’s Court presided over by Senior Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji to conduct an inquest into the cause and circumstances surrounding the death of Master Nkanu Adichie-Esege, who died on January 7, 2026, at Eurapharma Care Services’ hospital facility in Victoria Island, Lagos.
On May 26, 2026, Justice Opesanwo granted leave to Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited to commence judicial review proceedings challenging certain decisions of the Coroner’s Court in Suit No. MCL/1/CONA/2026.
The court also ordered that the grant of leave should operate as a stay of further proceedings in the coroner’s inquest pending the determination of the substantive application.
Following the order, Magistrate Adetunji on June 3, 2026, suspended proceedings in the inquest and adjourned the matter until October 8, 2026.
The respondents in the judicial review suit are Senior Magistrate and Coroner Atinuke Adetunji, the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, Dr. Ivara Esege, Chimamanda Adichie and Atlantis Pediatric Hospital Limited.
In the suit marked LD/7069MJR/2026, Eurapharma Care Services is seeking orders of certiorari and prohibition to quash and restrain the Coroner’s Court from continuing with the inquest.
The hospital is specifically challenging decisions made by the Coroner’s Court on January 21, February 25 and April 14, 2026, directing that the inquest should proceed.
Eurapharma contended that the Coroner lacked jurisdiction to continue with the inquest because the deceased’s body had allegedly been cremated before the coroner’s jurisdiction was activated, thereby rendering a post-mortem examination impossible.
The applicant also objects to the Coroner’s directive requiring it to open its defence and call witnesses first during the proceedings despite allegations of medical negligence and misconduct levelled against it.
While granting leave, Justice Opesanwo held that the application raised substantial issues deserving judicial scrutiny.
“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 held.
The court subsequently granted leave for judicial review by way of certiorari and prohibition and directed the applicant to file and serve its substantive processes on all respondents within 14 days.