Abuja-based singer Ifunanya Nwangene, popularly known as Nanyah, has died after sustaining a snake bite at her residence on Saturday, sparking renewed outrage over gaps in Nigeria’s emergency healthcare response.
Nwangene reportedly sought urgent medical help at two hospitals but was unable to receive timely treatment due to the unavailability of anti-venom. She later died at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abuja.
Confirming her passing, Amemuso Choir, where Nwangene sang as a soprano, announced her death in a statement shared on social media, describing her as a rising talent whose voice and spirit would be “deeply missed”.
“Amemuso Choir regrets to announce the sudden demise of our beloved soprano Ifunanya Nwangene who passed away yesterday, 31st January 2026 at Federal Medical Centre due to a snake bite,” the statement read. “A rising star, Ifunanya was at the cusp of sharing her incredible talent with the world.”
Speaking with TheCable, Sam Ezugwu, Amemuso’s music director, recounted the desperate final hours that followed the incident. He said he became aware of the situation after seeing a post on Nwangene’s social media page asking for help at FMC.
“I called the person with her and they told me she had been bitten by a snake,” Ezugwu said, adding that he immediately rushed to the hospital where he found her in severe distress.
According to him, doctors at FMC explained that two doses of anti-venom were required, but only one was available and had already been administered. Ezugwu said he quickly drove to a nearby pharmacy to purchase the second dose.
“As I was driving back, her friend called me and said Ifunanya had died. She passed away at about 12:20pm,” he said.
While hospital officials reportedly told Ezugwu that medical attention was given promptly upon her arrival at FMC, he noted that critical delays had occurred earlier. After the snake bite, Nwangene was said to have gone first to a hospital in Lugbe, where anti-venom was unavailable, before travelling about 30 minutes by ride-hailing service to FMC.
“She was still active when she got to FMC and even described the type of snake that bit her,” Ezugwu said, adding that a doctor later told him the venom had already spread by the time she arrived.
Ezugwu expressed frustration over the situation, questioning why a major public hospital lacked sufficient anti-venom. “What pains me the most is why a hospital like FMC will not have the required treatment,” he said.
Following her death, videos circulated online showing a long black snake reportedly captured from Nwangene’s apartment after the incident. Her family has requested that her body be taken to Enugu State for burial.
Nwangene’s death has triggered widespread reactions across social media, with many Nigerians condemning the country’s poor emergency response system and the persistent shortage of life-saving drugs, including anti-venom, in hospitals nationwide.
Melissa Enoch
About the Author
