A star of The Voice has sadly died aged just 26 after being bitten by a snake.
The star, who rose to prominence back in 2021, died on Saturday, January 31, in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.
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Death of The Voice aged 26 after snake bite
Ifunanya Nwangene, who appeared on The Voice Nigeria back in 2021, has sadly passed away, it has been announced.
The 26-year-old died after being bitten by a snake in her apartment in Abuja. A video shared on social media shows a snake handler removing a snake from her home. A voice in the video can be heard screaming, “It is a cobra!”
Ifunanya’s close friend, Sam Ezugwu, who also co-founded the Amemuso Choir, where she sang, told the BBC that Nwangene was a “rising star”.
He told the broadcaster that she was planning on staging her first solo concert later this year.
Hillary Obinna, another friend who sang alongside Ifunanya, told the BBC that the “snake bite had woken her up”. He added that two snakes were found in her home.
Ifunanya first sought treatment for the bite at a nearby clinic. However, when they didn’t have the anti-venom, she went to the hospital.
The Voice star Ifunanya Nwangene’s death
Sam Ezugwu also claimed that the hospital didn’t have the antivenom needed. He said that he went out to find it, but by the time he’d returned, his friend had passed away.
However, the hospital has refuted Ezugwu’s claims.
In a statement, the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, said: “Our medical staff provided immediate and appropriate treatment, including resuscitation efforts, intravenous fluids, intranasal oxygen, and the administration of polyvalent snake antivenom.”
It said that a “quick but thorough” assessment of showed that Ifunanya had suffered severe complications from the bite. Her condition suddenly deteriorated prior to them moving her to intensive care. Medics had been unable to revive her.
“We stand by the quality of care and dedication our team demonstrates daily,” they added.
According to the World Health Organisation, between 435,000 and 580,000 snakebites requiring treatment are recorded each year in Africa. Those bites cause approximately 30,000 deaths annually in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Tributes to Ifunanya
Ifunanya appeared on the third season of The Voice Nigeria in 2021. She impressed the judges with her rendition of Rihanna’s “Take a Bow” at the blind audition. However, she was eliminated in the knockout round.
Following her death, tributes have poured in for Ifunanya.
Hillary Obinna paid tribute to his friend, describing her as “a very wonderful girl, she is humble – very intelligent, and very talented.
“Everybody is shattered. We could not sleep at night.”
The Amemuso Choir, which she was part of, also penned a heartfelt tribute on social media. “A rising star, Ifunanya was on the cusp of sharing her incredible talent with the world. Her voice and spirit will be deeply missed,” they wrote.
Fans have also paid tribute. “So unfortunate! May the good Lord rest her soul,” one said.
“Farewell, our superstar. May your beautiful soul rest in heaven forever,” another wrote.
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