Fresh details have emerged surrounding the death of 25-year-old Abuja-based classical, jazz, RnB, and soul singer, Ifunanya Lucy Nwangene, popularly known by her stage name Nanyah, who died at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abuja, after she was bitten by a snake in her apartment in Lugbe, Abuja.
Narrating the tragic sequence of events, Director of the Amemuso Choir, Sam C. Ezugwu, of which the late singer was a member, described her final hours as a desperate race against time that ended in heartbreak.
According to Ezugwu, the first alarm was raised at exactly 10:13 a.m. when a member of the choir, identified as Stephanie, sent an urgent message to the Amemuso Choir WhatsApp group asking if anyone was around Jabi or FMC, Abuja.
“I immediately called her to ask what was wrong, and she told me that Ifunanya had been bitten by a snake,” Ezugwu said.
He explained that he quickly contacted Vincent, a choir member known for handling emergencies, and asked him to head to FMC. Ezugwu also rushed to the hospital alongside Paschal, Ifunanya’s closest friend.
“When we arrived at the hospital, doctors were already attending to her,” he said. “She was struggling to breathe, placed on oxygen, and unable to speak, although she tried to communicate using hand gestures.”
One of the attending doctors reportedly confirmed that Ifunanya had arrived at the emergency ward on her own and explained that she had been bitten by a grey snake. Her uncle, Mr Joseph, was also present at the hospital.
Ezugwu said Ifunanya was placed on a drip and administered antivenom alongside other treatments. However, as efforts continued, the doctor in charge informed Vincent that the hospital urgently needed Neostigmine and additional doses of medications already administered, explaining that FMC had exhausted its supply.
After several phone calls, it was confirmed that Neostigmine was available at Skylark Pharmacy, near the National Hospital. Ezugwu and Vincent immediately drove out to purchase the medication.
On their return to FMC, they were met with devastating news. “We came back and found her lifeless on the hospital bed,” Ezugwu said. “Soon, the emergency ward was filled with members of the Amemuso Choir and other friends, all grieving the painful loss.”
Further inquiries revealed that Ifunanya was bitten on the wrist by a snake while sleeping in her room between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Neighbours reportedly tied her hand to slow the spread of venom and urged her to seek immediate medical help.
A neighbour attempted to drive her to the hospital, but the vehicle failed to start. Ifunanya then ran approximately 500 metres to the estate gate, boarded a motorcycle, and was taken to Divine Health Hospital, the closest medical facility to her residence. The hospital, however, reportedly lacked antivenom and referred her to FMC.
She subsequently booked a ride to FMC and, while in transit at about 9:40 a.m., contacted friends, family members, and members of the Amemuso Choir.
Throughout the ordeal, Mr Joseph and Vincent remained in constant communication with Ifunanya’s father, Mr Nwangene, who requested that arrangements be made for an ambulance and the eventual transportation of his daughter’s body to Enugu.
After her death was confirmed, Ifunanya’s body was moved to the mortuary, embalmed, and prepared for transportation. Members of the Amemuso Board, including its president, Dr Dayo Benjamins Laniyi, who also serves as the Mandate Secretary for Women and Children in the FCT, visited during the process.
The body was later placed in a white body bag and transported in an ambulance convoy to Guardian Angel Catholic Chapel, Lugbe, where the Assistant Parish Priest, Fr. Stephen Biodun, prayed over and blessed her remains before the journey to Enugu.
Following the incident, a snake handler was engaged to inspect Ifunanya’s residence. Ezugwu disclosed that a medium-sized cobra was found inside her room, another smaller snake near her doormat, and a third snake in a nearby compound.
“It was concluded that the cobra found in her room was responsible for the fatal bite,” he said.
