Three doctors implicated in the death of the son of acclaimed Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie have rejected the allegations against them and are demanding that the charges be withdrawn, arguing that the investigation was flawed and has seriously harmed their professional reputations.
Speaking anonymously to Saturday PUNCH, the doctors claimed that the Medical and Dental Practitioners Investigation Panel handled the case unfairly. They accused the panel of already reaching conclusions before fully hearing the matter and of misinterpreting the Code of Medical Ethics.
They also called for their suspension to be lifted and requested a public apology for the damage done to their names.
The investigation panel, set up by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, had earlier suspended three doctors: Dr. Tunde Majekodunmi, the Medical Director of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital; Dr. Titus Ogundare, an anesthesiologist at the same facility; and Dr. Atinuke Uwajeh, the Chief Medical Officer at Atlantis Pediatric Hospital.
Their suspension followed the panel’s findings of alleged medical negligence connected to the treatment of 21-month-old Nkanu Adichie-Esege, who passed away on January 7, 2026, after suffering a short illness.
According to the panel, the three doctors will remain barred from practising medicine in Nigeria pending a full hearing before the Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal. It also revealed that there was preliminary evidence suggesting possible professional misconduct involving ten additional doctors who had interacted with the child during treatment, although eight other doctors were cleared of wrongdoing.
One of the accused doctors argued that the panel wrongly applied Rule 49(c) of the Code of Medical Ethics in its findings. He explained that his involvement was limited to providing an expert opinion on a Saturday and stressed that the child was not his personal patient.
He further criticised the panel’s process, stating that the doctors were not allowed to question the complainant directly, even though her lawyer was permitted to cross-examine them. He also questioned why the panel released its findings publicly before formally informing the affected doctors.
Another doctor alleged that the investigation lacked fairness, claiming that the physician who carried out the lumbar puncture procedure believed to have caused complications that led to the child’s death was not included among those indicted.
Describing the process as a “witch-hunt,” she suggested the panel’s actions were intended to create the impression that authorities were taking decisive steps in the case.
The doctors warned that situations like this could weaken public confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system and discourage medical practitioners from performing critical procedures. They insisted that the indictment be overturned and that their reputations be publicly restored.