The management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, has attributed the death of Abuja-based singer Ifunanya Nwangene to delayed access to emergency medical care following a snakebite, rejecting allegations of negligence or lack of treatment.
Speaking at the sidelines of the Senate Committee on Health’s 2026 budget defence session on Saturday, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Saad Ahmed, said the 26-year-old musician, popularly known as Nanyah, arrived at the facility when the effects of the venom had already progressed beyond effective reversal.
Nwangene reportedly suffered a snakebite at her residence and was rushed to FMC Jabi more than two hours later. Her death triggered widespread outrage online and reignited debates over Nigeria’s emergency healthcare response capacity.
Ahmed explained that the snake involved was a cobra, noting that the species is among the most dangerous and requires immediate medical intervention for survival.
“First, I want to extend my condolences to the family and friends of the deceased, but I would say this is a case of a cobra,” he said.
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“Cobra is the most poisonous snake that we know, and time is of essence from when one gets bitten and then to access that care.”
According to him, by the time the singer was brought to the hospital, the venom had already spread throughout her system.
“She presented to our hospital over two hours after she was bitten by that cobra, and by that time, she had already started manifesting with some systemic envenomation,” Ahmed said.
He also refuted claims circulating on social media that the hospital failed to administer anti-snake venom, insisting that treatment was promptly provided.
“And contrary to what we see in social media, that we didn’t have a snake venom, two doses were promptly given.
“First dose was given, where the infusion, after that one, another dose was given.
“So she had two doses of snake venom, but of course, the venom had already gone systemic, and we all know the cobra being highly poisonous.”
Ahmed stressed that anti-venom is most effective when administered shortly after a bite, a window that had already closed in this case.
“If she had presented probably much earlier, within 10 to 15 minutes, usually that’s when anti-venoms become most effective, but she came over two hours after the deadly incident.”
Describing the episode as a cautionary signal to healthcare institutions, Ahmed said hospitals must constantly review their readiness to handle life-threatening emergencies.
“But for FMC Abuja, we had anti-snake venom, all stocked, and our emergency services are top-notch, and our staff were fully on ground,” he said.
Beyond the incident, the CMD also lent support to proposals calling for the inclusion of state and private hospitals in the centralised housemanship programme for newly qualified doctors, arguing that the current structure places excessive pressure on federal tertiary hospitals.
“Housemanship is a period where young graduates in medicine go and learn hands-on before they can now go for their NYSC,” he said.
“So the federal hospitals, yes, almost all the federal tertiary hospitals are actually doing housemanship, but then the quota allocated is not enough.”
Ahmed explained that the allocation of housemanship slots is determined by institutional capacity rather than arbitrary numbers.
“It’s not like a classroom where you come to me and say I’m giving you 200; it has to be based on the number of beds, specialists, and facilities available.”
He added that broader participation by state governments would significantly ease the pressure.
“So I think if the state government can key into this centralised system, it’s going to help a great deal.
“So I think when we have all this centralised, it’s going to help; what the registrar of the Medical and Dental Council presented yesterday will just be history.”
FMC Jabi had earlier dismissed allegations that lapses in care contributed to Nwangene’s death.
In response to the tragedy, which occurred on February 3, the Senate urged the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and state governments to establish coordinated emergency referral and response frameworks linking public and private hospitals, with the aim of improving access to urgent, life-saving treatment during medical emergencies.
