Proceedings in the inquest into the death of 21-month-old Master Nkanu Adichie-Esege have been suspended following a Lagos State High Court order. The Coroner's Court at Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos Island, adjourned the matter to October 8, 2026, after being informed of the stay. Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji acted on submissions by Prof. Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), counsel for Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, who said the hospital had obtained leave from the High Court to challenge the jurisdiction of the Coroner's Court. Osipitan argued the inquiry should not proceed because the child's remains were allegedly cremated before the inquest began, raising legal questions over whether a coroner can investigate a death without a body.
The judicial review application, filed by Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, seeks certiorari and prohibition to quash the Coroner's Court's decisions. Justice Opesanwo granted the interim stay, effective under Order 44 Rule 3(6)(a) of the Lagos High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019. The hospital has 14 days to file its substantive processes. Osipitan stated the matter is returnable on June 8, 2026, and confirmed service on the Lagos State Attorney-General's Office. Adebola Araba, representing the state, said he had not seen the enrolled order, but Osipitan insisted the office was duly served.
Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), representing the child's family, said four sworn witness statements had been filed, including from Dr. Ivara Esege, the father, Dr. Chinwe Ego from Arizona, a medical expert from Minnesota, and Prof. Adekola of Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Pinheiro urged the court to adjourn only until after vacation, not indefinitely. He said, "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." Counsel for Atlantis Pediatric Hospital, Efe Ize-Iyamu, confirmed service and aligned with the family's position, noting his client had filed a response. Osipitan maintained the cremation constituted wilful destruction, punishable by 15 years' imprisonment, and questioned the legitimacy of the inquest.
The hospital's legal challenge hinges on the cremation it claims invalidates the inquest, yet it is the same institution that allegedly authorised the cremation. If the remains were destroyed before the coroner acted, the party now citing procedural breach may have set the conditions for the dispute. This puts the family's pursuit of public accountability at risk of being blocked by a delay tactic rooted in its own actions. The October 2026 adjournment offers no assurance of resolution, only more waiting.
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