Singer dies after being bitten by a snake
There’s been a wave of sorrow sweeping through Nigeria after the tragic passing of an up-and-coming singer who lost her life on Saturday, January 31, 2026, due to a snake bite in the capital city, Abuja.
Ifunanya Nwangene, just 26 years old, gained recognition after her stunning performances on The Voice Nigeria, the local adaptation of the popular international singing competition, back in 2021. She was celebrated for her incredible versatility, effortlessly blending jazz, opera, classical music, and soul.
Videos circulating on social media capture a snake handler carefully extracting a snake from her apartment, while nearby onlookers can be heard shouting, “It’s a cobra!”
A close friend, Sam Ezugwu, who co-founded the Amemuso Choir where she performed, shared with the BBC that Nwangene was truly a “rising star.”
He mentioned that she had plans to hold her first solo concert later this year and that she was also a trained architect.
Hillary Obinna, another friend who sang alongside her, told the BBC that he heard she had been asleep when “the snake bite woke her up.”
He added that two snakes were eventually discovered in the house.
Initially, she sought help at a nearby clinic, but since they didn’t have any antivenom, she had to go to a hospital.
Ezugwu shared that he rushed to the hospital on Saturday after hearing that she had been admitted. He mentioned that while the hospital had one of the necessary antivenoms, they were missing the other.
“While they were working to stabilize her, she couldn’t speak, but she was able to gesture with her hands. She was having a hard time breathing,” he recounted.
Ezugwu then drove off to look for the missing antivenom, but when he returned, he found out that she had passed away.
He noted that the whole choir went to the hospital that evening, “hoping for a miracle.”
In response, the hospital denied that the antivenom was unavailable and stated that claims about their inadequate response were “unfounded and do not reflect the reality of the situation.”
The Federal Medical Centre in Jabi said on Sunday: “Our medical staff provided immediate and appropriate treatment, including resuscitation efforts, intravenous fluids, intranasal oxygen, and the administration of polyvalent snake antivenom.”
They added that a “thorough but quick” assessment revealed that Nwangene had experienced severe complications from the bite. Her condition worsened suddenly before she could be transferred to intensive care, and unfortunately, the medical team was “unable to revive her.”
“We stand by the quality of care and the dedication our team shows every day.”
Singer dies after being bitten by a snake
