New information has come to light about the death of the 21-month-old son of famous writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege. The boy died after a short illness while the family was in Lagos for the Christmas holidays.
Reports say that the child, whose name is Nkanu Nnamdi, got sick after getting an infection.
According to people who know about the case, the parents had already made plans for a thorough medical evacuation to another country. A professional medical team was supposed to bring him to the US for more treatment on January 7.
Sources say that on January 6, 2026, the infant was transported to a private hospital on Victoria Island in Lagos for medical testing that the outside medical team had asked for. People reported he got to the facility in a steady state.
But it is said that the child’s health got worse before the planned evacuation could happen.
People close to the family have expressed worries about the medical care he received in the hours leading up to his death, saying it wasn’t good enough and asking whether established clinical norms were followed.
“This wasn’t God’s doing,” one insider stated, echoing the opinions of some who think the outcome could have been different.
“This was a failure of care.” That child would still be alive today if those professionals had done their duties for just a few hours.
The family hasn’t said anything in public besides asking for privacy as they mourn. We are still trying to get answers from the medical facility involved as more information comes to light.
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