Kingsley Nwangene, a close friend of Abuja-based musician Ifunanya Nwangene, has narrated the singer’s harrowing final hours following a snakebite.
Ifunanya, also known as Nanyah, was popularly known as Nanyah_music and fondly called the “Soprano Queen”, died on Saturday after she was reportedly bitten by a cobra at her residence in Lugbe, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory.
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She was 26 and rose to prominence after appearing on The Voice Nigeria, a reality TV show, in 2021.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of the day, has since sparked intense public debate, with many Nigerians questioning how a preventable death could happen in the nation’s capital due to the unavailability of life-saving anti-venom.
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‘She told me not to panic’
In an emotional account shared on Instagram, Mr Nwangene narrated how he received a distress call from the singer at about 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.
“She said, ‘Emy, don’t panic, but a snake has bitten me. I’m on my way to the hospital,” he recalled.
According to him, Nanyah explained that she had been asleep when she felt a sharp pain. On opening her eyes, she saw a snake in the room. Mr Nwangene said he was too shocked to ask many questions and instead focused on ensuring his friend got medical help.
Remarkably, the singer reportedly booked her rider herself to the hospital.
Hospitals without anti-venom
Mr Nwangene said the first stop was Divine Health Hospital, located at the Trade Fair Mall in Lugbe. However, she was allegedly told that the facility did not have anti-venom and could not treat her.
“She then decided to go to another hospital that might have the anti-venom,” Nwangene said, adding that she stayed on the phone with her throughout the ordeal.
The second hospital was the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, where Nanyah arrived at about 10 a.m.
According to the narration, staff at the emergency unit began asking routine questions while the singer’s condition deteriorated. Mr Nwangene said she repeatedly asked her friend if anti-venom was available.
“She told me they said they would give her a drip,” he said.
Mr Nwangene added that doctors removed the tourniquet Nanyah had tied around her arm to slow the spread of the venom and asked her to remain calm.
“She told me, ‘Emy, they have removed the thing I used to tie my hand.’ I felt relieved because she was finally at the hospital. I believed the doctors knew better,” she said.
Nanyah later succumbed to the effects of the venom.
Snakes reportedly found in her home
Videos that later surfaced online showed a snake catcher handling a large reptile reportedly found in the singer’s residence. Some accounts claimed that two snakes were eventually discovered in the house.
Friends also revealed that Nanyah had previously complained about seeing a large snake in her home, a detail that has deepened the shock surrounding her death.
A rising musical talent cut short
Nanyah was widely admired in Abuja’s choral and creative community. Known for her powerful, versatile soprano voice, she blended classical, jazz, R&B, soul, and choral music with ease.
She gained prominence through choir performances, social media platforms such as TikTok, and an appearance on The Voice Nigeria. Friends said she was active on social media earlier that day, unaware it would be her last.
Tributes have poured in from colleagues and fans, many describing her as a “joy-giver” with an “angelic voice.” Some choirs in Abuja reportedly sang hymns in her honour during services.
Burial Arrangements
The body of Abuja-based singer Nanyah, whose death after a snakebite sparked nationwide outrage, has been exhumed and moved to Enugu State, according to a report by the BBC.
Speaking to the BBC, the leader of the Abuja Metropolitan Music Society (AMEMUSO) Choir, Sam Ezugwu, said the deceased’s father ordered the repatriation of his daughter’s body after receiving confirmation of her death.
“Ifunanya’s father personally called for an ambulance and requested that his daughter’s body be brought to Enugu State,” Mr Ezugwu said.
He further disclosed that a member of the family confirmed the body arrived in Enugu State on Sunday.
According to him, the singer’s remains have since been deposited at the Enugu State mortuary, where they are being kept as the family makes arrangements for her burial.
Public outrage and systemic questions
The singer’s death has reignited national conversations about snakebite management and emergency healthcare in Nigeria.
Medical commentators and social media users have expressed outrage that hospitals in Abuja could lack anti-venom, a basic requirement for treating snakebites.
Public health advocates note that Nigeria records an estimated 20,000 snakebite cases annually, with about 2,000 deaths, according to a 2021 record of the State Ministry of Health. Many are attributed to delayed treatment and the absence of anti-venom.
Some Nigerians compared the situation to developed countries, where snakebite deaths have mainly been eliminated through effective emergency response systems. Others blamed poor government priorities, unreliable electricity for storing temperature-sensitive drugs, and alleged mismanagement of health funds.
While a few reactions veered into speculation about supernatural causes, most focused on what many described as a tragic failure of the healthcare system.
Mr Nwangene praised his friend’s courage and resilience but lamented what she called a “failed system” that could not save a young woman who did everything right by seeking help promptly.
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