A contestant on the 2021 edition of The Voice Nigeria, Ifunanya Nwangene, has reportedly died from a snake bite. The music director of her choir group broke the news on social media. According to reports, the singer sought treatment at a medical center, but ultimately died from severe complications.
Ifunanya Nwangene passes away after getting bitten by a snake
On Saturday, January 31, The Voice Nigeria alum Ifunanya Nwangene reportedly died after sustaining a snake bite. On Sunday, the Amemuso Choir, an Opera group she was a member of, announced the news with a Facebook post.
The post read, “Regret to announce the sudden demise of our beloved soprano, Ifunanya Nwangene, who passed away yesterday, 31 January 2026, at Federal Medical Center due to a snake bite.”
The post also described her as a rising star who was on the “cusp of sharing her incredible talent with the world.” It concluded, “Her voice and spirit will be deeply missed.”
During an interview with BBC Africa, Nwangene’s friend, Hillary Obinna, recounted the incident to the outlet. He confirmed that she was asleep when the snake bit her. According to him, the 26-year-old initially visited a local clinic for treatment, but later went to the Federal Medical Centre due to the unavailability of antivenom.
Sam Ezugwu, co-founder and music director of the Amemuso Choir, told the outlet that he was at the hospital. He said, “While they were trying to stabilize her, she could not speak, but she could make hand gestures. She was struggling to breathe.”
Ezugwu alleged that the hospital had only a part of the antivenom required to treat the snake bite. He explained that by the time he was able to find the medicine and return to the hospital, she had passed away.
However, a representative of the hospital has denied the allegations. They said that the information is “unfounded and do not reflect the reality of the situation.”
The official statement read, “Our medical staff provided immediate and appropriate treatment, including resuscitation efforts, intravenous fluids, intranasal oxygen, and the administration of polyvalent snake antivenom.” The statement added that complications arose, and despite efforts by medical staff, they were “unable to revive her.”
Originally reported by Harsha Panduranga on ComingSoon.
