Singer and Former Voice Contestant, 26, Dies After Being Bitten by Snake in Her Sleep

Ifunanya Nwangene, a singer who appeared on season 3 of The Voice Nigeria, has died after suffering a snake bite. She was 26, according to BBC Africa.

Music director Sam C. Ezugwu, who works with Amemuso Choir — which Nwangene was part of — confirmed her “sudden” death in a statement shared on Facebook on Sunday, Feb. 1. In the post, the choir said Nwangene died at a Nigerian hospital on Saturday, Jan. 31, “due to a snake bite.”

“Amemuso Choir [regrets] to announce the sudden demise of our beloved soprano,” the statement read. “A rising star, Ifunanya was on the cusp of sharing her incredible talent with the world. Her voice and spirit will be deeply missed.”

Nwangene, who was born in Enugu and lived in Abuja, was bitten while at home, BBC Africa reported. The outlet said it spoke with several choir members, including Hillary Obinna, who described what happened in the hours after the bite.

Obinna told BBC Africa that Nwangene was asleep when the bite woke her up. He also said that two snakes were later found in her home. BBC Africa reported that social media footage showed a snake handler removing one of the reptiles from the residence.

According to BBC Africa, Nwangene first sought help at a nearby clinic, but antivenom was not available. She then went to a hospital for further treatment. In his Facebook post, Ezugwu identified the facility as Federal Medical Center.

Nwangene first gained national attention on The Voice Nigeria season 3 after turning two chairs with her rendition of Rihanna’s “Take a Bow.” The official YouTube video of her audition has more than 80,000 views.

Outside of the show, she shared covers — including more Rihanna — and original music on her YouTube channel. Her final Instagram post teased a “new project” with another Nigerian musician who goes by Tbrass.

After her death, Tbrass said Nwangene had been in his studio on Jan. 28 to record a feature for his upcoming album. He posted a tribute alongside a video of her singing into a microphone.

“An irreplaceable loss to the Abuja music society and Nigeria at large💔,” he wrote. “My hand and heart feels very heavy writing this, because it is unimaginable [losing] such a young promising great, talented music artist who touched so many lives.”

He added that the loss felt especially painful “in Nigeria where music runs deep in our souls and connects us all,” and praised her voice, her storytelling, and the way she represented her culture.

Ezugwu told BBC Africa that Nwangene had been planning her first solo concert for 2026. He also said additional details about her burial arrangements would be shared on Amemuso Choir’s official Facebook account.