The Amemuso Choir has given a harrowing account of the final hours of its soprano singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, who died on Saturday after being bitten by a snake in her residence in Lugbe, Abuja.
Nwangene’s death, which occurred at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, has cast a harsh spotlight on emergency response gaps and the availability of life-saving antivenom in hospitals within the Federal Capital Territory.
“She was sleeping when the snake bit her”
Confirming the tragedy in a statement issued on Sunday, the choir announced that the fast-rising singer died barely hours after the incident.
“We regret to announce the sudden demise of our beloved soprano, Ifunanya Nwangene, who passed away yesterday, January 31, 2026, at the Federal Medical Centre due to a snake bite,” the statement, signed by the choir’s Music Director, Sam Ezugwu, read.
The choir described her as a promising talent whose death came at a critical point in her musical journey.
“A rising star, Ifunanya was on the cusp of sharing her incredible talent with the world. Her voice, dedication, and gentle spirit will be deeply missed by the Amemuso family and everyone who knew her,” the statement added.
Speaking further on how the incident unfolded, Ezugwu said Nwangene was bitten by a snake while asleep in her room on Saturday morning.
“She was sleeping when the snake bit her. This happened around 8 or 9am. She woke up, realised what had happened, and rushed herself to a private hospital around where she lives in Lugbe,” he said.
The hospital, identified as Divine Health Hospital, Trademore, Lugbe, was unable to provide the critical drug needed to treat snakebite victims.
“The snake bit her, and she rushed herself to the hospital. But when she got there, they told her they didn’t have antivenom. That was the first major problem,” Ezugwu explained.
With her condition worsening, she returned home in an attempt to get help to reach a tertiary hospital.
“She rushed back home. Her landlord wanted to take her to FMC, Jabi, but his car refused to start. At that point, time was already against her,” he said.
Left with no other option, Nwangene booked a ride-hailing service to the hospital.
“She booked a Bolt and went to FMC herself. When she arrived, she explained everything to the medical personnel on duty, that she had been bitten by a snake and that the first hospital didn’t have antivenom,” he added.
“They said they had only one antivenom”
According to Ezugwu, doctors at FMC immediately began attending to her, but another critical challenge emerged.
“When we got the call, we rushed down to FMC and met the doctors trying their best. She was already struggling at that point,” he said.
He disclosed that the hospital informed them that it had only one dose of antivenom, whereas her condition required more.
“The doctors told us they had one antivenom, but they needed a second one urgently. We were running around, making calls, trying to buy the second one,” Ezugwu recounted.
While efforts were ongoing to source the drug, Nwangene’s condition deteriorated rapidly.
“In the period we were rushing to get the second antivenom, she gave up,” he said.
She was pronounced dead at 12:20pm, barely three to four hours after the snake bite.
After her death, the choir said steps were taken to confirm the type of snake involved.
“We contacted a snake charmer who went to her room. The snake that was killed inside her room was identified as a cobra,” Ezugwu disclosed.
He added that another snake was also sighted and killed near the entrance of her residence.
“There was another snake outside her house by the entrance that was also killed,” he said.
Reacting to the controversy surrounding the singer’s death, the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Abuja, expressed condolences to Nwangene’s family, describing the incident as tragic and emotionally distressing, while insisting that every possible medical effort was made to save her life.
In a press statement issued on Sunday by the hospital’s Head of Clinical Services, Dr Bioku Muftau, FMC dismissed claims that the death of the 25-year-old singer, popularly known as Nanyah, was caused by the non-availability of anti-snake venom.
According to the statement, Nwangene died from severe neurotoxic complications arising from the snake bite she sustained on January 31, 2026, despite what the hospital described as prompt and appropriate medical intervention.
The hospital explained that following a rapid clinical assessment, doctors confirmed that the patient had already developed advanced neurotoxic effects, after which arrangements were made to transfer her to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for further management.
However, FMC said her condition deteriorated suddenly shortly before the transfer could be completed.
“Despite aggressive resuscitative measures, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the patient could not be revived,” the statement said.
The hospital firmly refuted allegations that her death resulted from a lack of antivenom or negligence by its staff, describing such reports as misleading and inconsistent with the clinical facts.
“Our team of professionals worked diligently to provide CPR and other life-saving measures; however, despite these efforts, we were unable to revive her,” FMC stated.
“The claims of non-availability of anti-snake venom and inadequate response are unfounded and do not reflect the reality of the situation. We stand by the quality of care and dedication our team demonstrates daily.”
FMC urged the public to rely on credible and verified information rather than social media speculation, adding that it remains open to further inquiries regarding the incident.
