Rising Nigerian singer dies after snake bite in Abuja

International

A 26-YEAR-OLD Nigerian singer has died after being bitten by a snake inside her home in Abuja.

Ifunanya Nwangene, who became known after joining The Voice Nigeria in 2021, was asleep in her apartment when the snake bit her, according to friends. The bite reportedly woke her up.

Videos later shared online showed a snake handler removing a cobra from the residence, with reports that two snakes were found inside the home.

She was first taken to a nearby clinic but was referred to another hospital after staff said antivenom was unavailable.

Nwangene was later admitted to the Federal Medical Centre in Jabi, Abuja.

Sam Ezugwu, a close friend and music director of the Amemuso Choir where she sang, said she was struggling to breathe and could no longer speak.

“While they were trying to stabilize her, she could not speak but she could make hand gestures,” Ezugwu said in a BBC report.

Ezugwu said the hospital had one type of antivenom but lacked another that was needed. Despite efforts to stabilise her condition, she died before further treatment could be completed.

Members of her choir later gathered at the hospital, hoping she would survive.

The hospital has denied claims that treatment was delayed or inadequate, saying medical staff immediately provided care, including antivenom, oxygen, intravenous fluids, and resuscitation efforts. It added that her condition worsened due to severe complications from the snake bite.

Nwangene was known for blending jazz, opera, classical music, and soul. She was also a trained architect and had been planning her first solo concert later this year. Friends described her as humble, intelligent, and highly talented.

Her death has renewed public concern in Nigeria over access to emergency healthcare, even in urban areas. It has also drawn attention to snakebites in Africa, which the World Health Organization considers a neglected public health issue due to limited access to antivenom and timely medical care. (Adriane Josef E. Cabase, USJ-R Comm Intern)