Three doctors suspended by Nigeria’s Medical and Dental Practitioners Investigation Panel over the death of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s son have condemned the investigative process as biased and unjust, alleging they were denied fair hearing, wrongly accused of violating medical ethics rules that don’t apply to them, and publicly shamed before being formally notified—while the doctor who performed the lumbar puncture that allegedly triggered fatal complications was not indicted.
Three doctors suspended by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Investigation Panel over the death of renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 21-month-old son have condemned the investigative process, alleging lack of fair hearing, misapplication of medical ethics provisions, and a preconceived plan to sanction them unjustly. The doctors, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on condition of anonymity for fear of further victimization, are demanding that their indictment be immediately set aside and that a public apology be issued for what they described as irreparable damage to their reputations.
The panel suspended Dr. Tunde Majekodunmi, Medical Director of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital; Dr. Titus Ogundare, the hospital’s anesthesiologist; and Dr. Atinuke Uwajeh, Chief Medical Officer at Atlantis Pediatric Hospital, following findings of medical negligence in the treatment of Nkanu Adichie-Esege, who died on January 7, 2026, after complications during an MRI procedure. The panel also found a prima facie case of professional misconduct against 10 other doctors.
One indicted doctor accused the panel of wrongly applying Rule 49(c) of the Code of Medical Ethics, which deals with private practice by public service consultants. “They said I violated Rule 49(c), which was a wrong application of the rule. The rule allows medical practitioners to use their professional skills during their free time, provided it does not clash with official duties. For this patient, it was on a Saturday, and I was not at work. The patient was not my private patient. Another doctor owned the patient, and I only went there to give an expert opinion,” he stated.
The doctors also alleged one-sided cross-examination, with Adichie’s legal counsel allowed to question them while they were denied the opportunity to cross-examine the complainant or her representatives. They further criticized the council for making the panel’s findings public on March 3 before formally notifying them—their letters arrived on March 5, dated February 25, but sent via DHL on March 4.
Perhaps most damning is the allegation that the doctor who performed the lumbar puncture—which one indicted doctor claims triggered the fatal cardiac arrest—was not among those sanctioned. “The person who performed the procedure that finally led to the death of that child, the lumbar puncture, was not even among the 10 doctors who were indicted. It was after the lumbar puncture that the child developed cardiac arrest and never recovered. So, if his name was not included, it means that we probably do not know what we are doing, as far as I am concerned,” one doctor said.
The doctors warn that labeling 10 practitioners with professional misconduct in a single case could erode public trust in Nigerian healthcare. “If 10 doctors are all accused of misconduct in managing a single patient, what message does that send about our hospitals?” one asked. “I think the panel had already decided what it would do even before inviting us. The decision was to make Nigerians feel that they were working, not necessarily to indict those who actually did wrong.”
When contacted, panel secretary Enejo Abdu declined comment, saying: “We do not speak to the press. I’m not authorized to speak to the press, and I’m not speaking to you.”
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