Nigeria mourns death of Voice Nigeria singer

A wave of grief has swept across Nigeria following the death of an aspiring singer who died on Saturday after being bitten by a snake in the capital, Abuja.

Ifunanya Nwangene, 26, rose to prominence after appearing on The Voice Nigeria, the local version of the international television singing competition, in 2021. She was known for her versatility, blending jazz, opera, classical music, and soul, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

Videos shared on social media show a snake handler removing a snake from her apartment, while people nearby can be heard shouting, “It’s a cobra!”

A close friend, Sam Ezugwu — co-founder and music director of the Amemuso Choir where she sang — told the BBC that Nwangene was a “rising star.”

He said she had planned to hold her first solo concert later this year. She was also a trained architect.

Another friend, Hillary Obinna, who sang alongside her, told the BBC that Nwangene had been asleep when “the snake bite woke her up.” She said two snakes were later found in the house.

Nwangene initially sought treatment at a nearby clinic, but it did not have antivenom, so she was taken to a hospital.

Ezugwu said he rushed to the hospital on Saturday after learning she had been admitted. He said the hospital had one of the required antivenoms, but not the other.

“While they were trying to stabilize her, she couldn’t speak but could gesture with her hands. She was struggling to breathe,” he added.

Ezugwu said he drove out to search for the missing antivenom, but when he returned he discovered that she had died.

He said the entire choir went to the hospital that evening, “hoping that a miracle would happen.”

In a statement, the hospital denied that antivenom had been unavailable, adding that claims its response had been inadequate were “unfounded and do not reflect the reality of the situation.”

The Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, said on Sunday: “Our medical staff provided immediate and appropriate treatment, including resuscitation efforts, intravenous fluids, intranasal oxygen, and administration of polyvalent snake antivenom.”

It said a “thorough but rapid” assessment showed that Nwangene had suffered severe complications from the snake bite. Her condition deteriorated suddenly before she could be transferred to intensive care, and doctors were “unable to revive her.”

“We stand by the quality of care and the dedication our team demonstrates every day,” the statement added.