The Coroner's Court at JIC Taylor CourtHouse in Lagos Island adjourned proceedings in the inquest into the death of 21-month-old Master Nkanu Adichie-Esege until October 8, 2026. The adjournment followed an application by Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, citing a stay order granted by the Lagos State High Court. The hospital had filed for judicial review challenging the coroner's jurisdiction, arguing the child's body was cremated before the inquest began. Osipitan stated the High Court, presided over by Justice Aishat Opesanwo, granted leave on May 26, 2026, for judicial review via orders of certiorari and prohibition, with a return date of June 8, 2026.
Osipitan informed Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji that the High Court issued a consequential order staying the coroner's proceedings pending determination of the judicial review. He confirmed service of the application on the Lagos State Attorney-General's office, despite counsel Adebola Araba stating he had not seen the order. Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kemi Pinheiro, representing the deceased's family, confirmed service of four witness statements on oath. The witnesses include Dr. Ivara Esege, father of the child; Dr. Chinwe Ego from Arizona, United States; a medical expert from Minnesota, United States; and Prof. Adekola of Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
Pinheiro said the family respected the stay order but maintained the inquest should proceed. "He who has nothing to hide should not fear an open inquest. An innocent man has nothing to fear. It is darkness that fears the light," he said. He requested the court adjourn until after the vacation rather than indefinitely. Counsel for Atlantis Pediatric Hospital, Efe Ize-Iyamu, confirmed service of the judicial review documents and aligned with Pinheiro's position, noting his client had filed its response. Osipitan countered, insisting the core issue was whether cremation before activation of jurisdiction had legal consequences. "Whether you are fearful or fearless, there was wilful destruction," he said. "You cannot assume jurisdiction. What they did is punishable by 15 years imprisonment."
Euracare's legal challenge questions the coroner's authority while asserting the cremation of the child's body invalidates the inquest. The hospital's claim that the act voids jurisdiction directly conflicts with its counsel's admission that the same act could carry a 15-year prison term. If cremation before inquiry is a criminal offence, then the hospital's defense rests on a violation it admits may be punishable by law. This puts the family's call for transparency at odds with a legal argument that could shield actions from scrutiny.
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