Ifunanya Nwangene
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I A snake bite which was handled wrongly led to the death of Ifunanya Nwangene, Nigeria’s top singer based in Abuja.
Snake bites can be fatal, causing 81,410 to 137,880 deaths annually worldwide, with victims often facing rapid, severe outcomes if not treated quickly with antivenom.
Following Nwangene’s death, a snake handler was engaged to inspect her residence. “A medium-sized cobra was found inside her room, another smaller snake near her doormat, and a third in a nearby compound. It was concluded that the cobra was responsible for the fatal bite,” reads a recent statement issued by the Abuja Metropolitan Music Society Choir.
The detailed statement released on Monday, the Amemuso Choir said Nwangene died on Saturday after being unable to receive timely and complete treatment at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abuja.
The statement, signed by the choir’s director, Sam Ezugwu, provided a minute-by-minute account of the final hours of the singer’s life.
According to Ezugwu, the incident began shortly after 10:00am when a distress message was sent to the choir’s WhatsApp group reporting that Nwangene had been bitten by a snake. She was rushed to FMC after an initial referral from a private hospital that reportedly lacked antivenom.
By the time choir members arrived at FMC, Nwangene was already in severe distress. “She was struggling to breathe, had been placed on oxygen, and could not speak,” Ezugwu said. Doctors confirmed she had suffered a snakebite and began treatment, including the administration of antivenom.
However, the choir claims that hospital staff later disclosed that additional medication, notably Neostigmine—used in managing neurotoxic snake envenomation—was not available in the facility and had to be sourced externally. Ezugwu and another choir member immediately left the hospital to purchase the drug from a nearby pharmacy.
“As we were leaving, I noticed that Ifunanya appeared no longer to be breathing,” Ezugwu said. While resuscitation efforts were ongoing, the choir members received a call moments later informing them that the singer had been pronounced dead.
Further inquiries revealed that Nwangene was bitten on the wrist while asleep in her Lugbe residence earlier that morning. Neighbours attempted first aid and transport, but delays and the absence of antivenom at the first hospital she visited compounded her condition.
Health authorities and FMC have rejected claims of negligence. The hospital insists that antivenom was available and that all necessary interventions were administered, attributing her death to sudden neurotoxic complications.
But for the Amemuso Choir and many Nigerians, Nwangene’s death underscores deeper concerns about emergency preparedness and the real-time availability of specialised medicines.
“She did everything right by seeking help early,” the choir said, describing her death as a devastating loss to Abuja’s music community. Burial arrangements are expected to be announced later.
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