Ifunanya Nwangele
From our news desk, Benin
Soprano singer Ifunanya Nwangele reportedly died of a snake bite incident in Abuja recently, with many blaming it on a poor emergency response.
The victim’s brother, Kingsley Nwangene @kaybaba1 on Instagram, shared a sad post and a video narrating her final moments.
The victim was on the phone with him giving account of every bit of her state while seeking medical help, until she suddenly stopped talking.
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According to him, Nanya immediately sought help after the snake bit and tied her hand to slow the spread of the venom.
She personally drove herself to Divine Health Hospital, Trade Mall Road, Lugbe, Abuja, while remaining on a phone call with him throughout.
On arrival, hospital staff reportedly informed her they did not have anti-venom and could not treat her.
She immediately booked a ride to another hospital, still speaking clearly and audibly on the phone.
She arrived at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abuja, some minutes before 10 am, walked into the emergency unit unaided, and was still communicating normally.
However, instead of administering anti-venom, she was reportedly asked several questions, told to calm down, and placed on a drip.
Kingsley wondered why the tied band meant to slow down the venom spread was removed.
Suprisingly, moments later, he was informed she had passed away.
Following her death, the family said conflicting narratives began to circulate, including claims that she was bitten much earlier or arrived late and unable to speak.
But these accounts were not correct, Kaybaba1 held insisting he was on the phone with her until shortly before she collapsed.
The multi million Naira question now on the lip of everyone including the family, is whether anti-venom was available at the FMC Abuja at the time, and why emergency treatment was delayed.
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The tragic incident has sparked widespread public concern over emergency preparedness and response to snake bite cases not only in the Federal Capital Territory, but across the Nigeria nation.
Ifunanya Nwangene, 26, rose to prominence after appearing on The Voice Nigeria, the local version of the international TV singing competition, in 2021. She was known for her versatility, blending jazz, opera, classical music and soul.
Videos shared on social media show a snake handler removing a snake from her apartment, as people nearby can be heard screaming: “It is a cobra!”
A close friend, Sam Ezugwu, the co-founder and music director of the Amemuso Choir where she sang, told the BBC that Nwangene was a “rising star.”
Additional report from the BBC
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