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5 Feb 2026 17:51
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  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Ifunanya Nwangene has died aged 26 after a snake bite

    The singer - who appeared on the third season of The Voice Nigeria in 2021 - was at sleep at her home in Abuja when she was bitten by the poisonous snake.


    According to BBC Africa, Nwangene was bitten in her sleep on Saturday (31.01.26), and later died after seeking medical treatment.

    Collaborator Hillary Obinna told the outlet that "the snake bite woke her up", and two serpents were later found in the house.

    It's said there was no antivenom at a nearby clinic, so she had to be taken to hospital.

    Sam Ezugwu - who was co-founder and music director of the Amemuso Choir, of which Nwangene was part of - claimed the hospital only had one of the two required medicines.

    He added: "While they were trying to stabilise her, she could not speak but she could make hand gestures. She was struggling to breathe."

    He said he drove to try and find the antivenom but when he returned, she had died.

    The hospital had denied the antivenom was unavailable, insist claims about its response "were unfounded and do not reflect the reality of the situation".

    The Federal Medical Centre, Jabi commented: "Our medical staff provided immediate and appropriate treatment, including resuscitation efforts, intravenous fluids, intranasal oxygen, and the administration of polyvalent snake antivenom."

    The hospital added that a "thorough but quick" assessment showed the singer had suffered severe complications from the snake bite.

    They said her condition suddenly dropped before she could be moved to intensive care, and staff were "unable to revive her".

    They added: "We stand by the quality of care and dedication our team demonstrates daily."

    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), venomous snakebites are a neglected issue of public health across tropical and subtropical countries.

    There have been debates about healthcare in Nigeria after allegations of negligence, including the death of novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's 21-month-old son, over which the hospital denied any wrongdoing.

    Subsequently, the country's health minister noted there were "systemic challenges" in the health system, and has created a task force on "clinical governance and patient safety".

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

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