Ifunanya Nwangene, Singer and ‘The Voice’ Star, Dies at 26 After Being Bitten by a Snake in Her Sleep

Ifunanya Nwangene, a Nigerian singer who rose to acclaim on The Voice Nigeria, died after being bitten by a snake. She was 26.

News of her death was confirmed by a friend and the music director of the Amemuso Choir, which she was a member of, in an emotional Facebook post.

“Amemuso Choir regrets to announce the sudden demise of our beloved soprano Ifunaya Nwangene who passed away yesterday, 31st January 2026 at federal medical center due to a snake bite,” the post reads. “A rising star, Ifunaya was on the cusp of sharing her incredible talent with the world. Her voice and spirit will be deeply missed.”

A friend of the singer, Hillary Obinna, told BBC Africa that Nwangene was asleep in her bed when she was woken up by the snake bite. She immediately rushed to a nearby clinic, but it reportedly did not have the necessary antivenom. She was then rushed to the hospital but died soon after. Two snakes were later found and removed from her home.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Nwangene first gained public attention by getting four chairs to turn on The Voice Nigeria’s third season for her rendition of Rihanna’s “Take a Bow.” She continued to perform well throughout the season with a blend of jazz, opera, soul and classical music.

She was reportedly in the works to create more music and raise her profile even more with a solo concert planned for 2026. In her final Instagram post, she teased a new project in the works with Nigerian musician Tbrass. He has since paid tribute to his late collaborator in a post on Instagram.

“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 loosing such a young promising great, talented music artist who touched so many lives, it is very heartbreaking—especially in Nigeria where music runs deep in our souls and connects us all.”