RismadarVoice Reporters,February 2, 2026
An Abuja-based rising singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, has died after she was bitten by a snake, an incident that has reignited concerns over emergency medical preparedness in Nigeria.
It was gathered that Nwangene, a soprano singer with the Amemuso Choir, died on Saturday at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abuja, following reported delays in treatment linked to the unavailability of sufficient antivenom.
Confirming her death, the Amemuso Choir announced the sad development in a statement shared on its Facebook page on Sunday afternoon.
The statement was signed by the choir’s Music Director, Sam Ezugwu.
The choir described Nwangene as a fast-rising talent within Abuja’s music community, noting that her death occurred at a crucial stage of her artistic journey.
“A rising star, Ifunanya was on the cusp of sharing her incredible talent with the world. Her voice and spirit will be deeply missed,” the statement added, while indicating that burial arrangements would be announced later.
Speaking further on the incident, Ezugwu said Nwangene was bitten by a snake in her residence while asleep and initially sought medical attention at a private hospital.
“The snake bit her while she was sleeping. She rushed herself to a private hospital in Lugbe, where she stays. The hospital, Divine Health at Trademore, Lugbe, did not have antivenom,” he said.
According to him, transportation challenges and the absence of antivenom at the first facility delayed her transfer to a tertiary hospital.
“She went back home, and her landlord tried to take her to FMC, Jabi, but his car wouldn’t start. She eventually booked a taxi to FMC, explained her situation to the medical personnel on duty,” Ezugwu added.
He noted that although she was attended to at FMC, the hospital also faced limitations.
“The hospital informed us that they had one antivenom but needed a second dose. While we were running around to get the second one, she passed away,” he said.
Ezugwu disclosed that after her death, a snake charmer was contacted to identify the snake involved.
“The snake killed inside her room was confirmed to be a cobra. Another snake was also seen and killed outside her apartment,” he stated.
He said the incident occurred in the morning and that Nwangene died a few hours later.
“She was bitten around 8 or 9am on Saturday and died at about 12:20pm at FMC,” he added.
The incident has triggered widespread reactions, particularly from health advocates questioning the state of emergency response in Nigerian hospitals.
A popular health influencer, Aproko Doctor, criticized the lack of antivenom in hospitals, describing it as a systemic failure.
“It was not the snake that killed her. Snakes bite people everywhere, but people don’t usually die like this. She went to two hospitals, and in 2026, they said there was no antivenom,” he said in a Facebook post.
He noted that Nigeria has a locally developed antivenom known as Echi-Tab, questioned why it was unavailable.
“Why are these injections not in hospital fridges? Because we have forgotten the basics,” he said, linking the incident to broader issues in healthcare funding and prioritisation.
The tragedy comes amid a similar recent incident in the FCT, where a head teacher, Usman Mohammed, reportedly died after being bitten by a venomous snake in his office in Abaji Area Council.
According to local sources, the victim was rushed to a hospital in neighbouring Niger State, where he was pronounced dead hours later.
The World Health Organization estimates that snakebite envenoming causes up to 138,000 deaths and 400,000 permanent disabilities annually worldwide.
In 2017, WHO classified snakebite as a priority neglected tropical disease, setting a global target to halve related deaths and disabilities by 2030.
