Nigeria: ‘The Voice’ Singer Dies After Snake Bite in Her Sleep

A 26-year-old singer who appeared on the third season of The Voice Nigeria, Ifunanya Nwangene, died tragically after being bitten by a snake while asleep. Nwangene, a member of the Amemuso Choir, was confirmed dead by choir music director Sam Ezugwu in a Facebook statement: ‘With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Ifunanya Nwangene Nanyah.’ She was sleeping in her apartment in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, when she woke up with severe pain in her leg. Rushed to a local clinic—lacking the required antivenom—she was then transferred to a hospital. According to Ezugwu, she could no longer speak but communicated through hand gestures and struggled to breathe. The hospital reportedly had only one of the two required antivenom doses; Ezugwu left to source the second dose but returned to find her deceased. Authorities discovered two snakes in her apartment. In a viral social media video, someone is heard shouting, ‘It’s a cobra,’ as the snakes were removed from her home.