Adichie’s son’s death: ‘No interference in inquest by state’
Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), has denied allegations that his office sought to halt or interfere with proceedings in the coroner’s inquest into the
Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), has denied allegations that his office sought to halt or interfere with proceedings in the coroner’s inquest into the death of Master Nkanu Adichie-Esege, son of renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr. Ivara Esege.
In a statement yesterday, he said reports surrounding proceedings at the Coroner’s Court sitting at the J.I.C. Taylor Courthouse on Lagos Island on May 5 had misconstrued its intervention in the matter.
The ministry stressed that at no time did the Attorney General’s office direct, request, or intend that the coroner should suspend proceedings indefinitely.
“The decision to suspend proceedings rests solely within the discretion of the Coroner, and the Office neither sought to interfere with nor truncate the judicial process,” the statement said.
The ministry explained that the invitation extended to counsel representing parties in the matter was aimed at drawing attention to the policy direction of the Office of the Attorney General regarding the management and conduct of coroner’s inquests in Lagos State.
It added that the engagement was also intended to seek the cooperation of lawyers and other stakeholders to ensure that the inquest proceeds expeditiously and is not unnecessarily prolonged.
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According to the statement, the initiative was informed by lessons from the coroner’s inquest into the death of singer MohBad, which the ministry said became unduly prolonged.
The ministry noted that prolonged inquests are not in the interest of justice or affected families, adding that the Ministry of Justice has a responsibility to promote a more efficient framework for such proceedings.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the proposed meeting was never intended to interfere with, suspend, or otherwise impede the lawful proceedings of the Coroner,” the statement added.
Rather, the meeting was conceived as a collaborative engagement with counsel to improve coordination and ensure the timely resolution of the inquest.
The Attorney General’s office urged members of the public to disregard insinuations suggesting otherwise and reaffirmed its commitment to the proper administration of justice in Lagos State.
