A close friend of Abuja based singer Ifunanya Nwangene, popularly known as Nanyah Music, has spoken about her final moments after she suffered complications from a snake bite.
The singer died at the age of 26.
The Amemuso Choir announced her death in a statement signed by its Music Director, Sam Ezugwu. Nwangene died on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, following the incident.
In a tribute shared on Facebook, her close friend and fellow singer, Paschal Nworgu, spoke about the final moments they shared together.
“I watched the closest person in my life struggle for breath right before my eyes and in my arms. I begged God to bring you back. I prayed the Hail Mary many times. I begged you to move, but you didn’t,” he wrote.
Nworgu said they met in January 2019 during auditions for Hymnodia Season One in Ikeja, Lagos, and later became close friends. He encouraged her to relocate to Abuja for her National Youth Service Corps programme in 2020 so she could focus on building her music career.
He also recalled a major turning point in her journey in 2024. “You told me you wanted to draw closer to God, and I encouraged you to reflect it in your content. From the first sacred song you posted, everything changed,” he said.
Speaking further on her last moments, Nworgu added, “You gave your last breath in my arms after seven years and four days of knowing you. I have never been that helpless in my life.”
The Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, later responded to claims circulating online about the care she received. The hospital said its medical team provided prompt treatment, including resuscitation, intravenous fluids, oxygen and anti snake venom. It added that she developed severe neurotoxic complications and deteriorated rapidly while preparations were being made to move her to the Intensive Care Unit. The hospital denied claims that anti snake venom was unavailable.
Nwangene was a soprano with the Amemuso Choir and appeared on The Voice Nigeria Season 3 in 2021. She was also an architect and had been preparing for her first solo concert before her death.
Members of the music community have continued to mourn her, with the Amemuso Choir describing her death as a major loss to Abuja’s music scene. Burial arrangements are expected to be announced by the choir.
