Nigeria, Jan. 20 -- The recent tragedy involving the literary giant Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, following the loss of her young son at Euracare Hospital in Lagos, unsettled many beyond the immediate circle of grief. The accusations and defenses that followed, spilling into national and international headlines, did more than provoke sympathy or outrage; they invited reflection. It is one of those moments where private sorrow collides with public meaning, where a single incident opens wider questions about institutions, values, and the fragile space between reputation and reality.

Adichie herself has always been an intriguing figure, not merely because of her literary brilliance, but because of the moral seriousness she brings to public dis...