The Kwara State Government has ordered an immediate statewide fumigation exercise targeting snakes across all residential buildings, schools, offices and other regulated premises, in response to a growing number of snakebite incidents reported across the state.
The directive was issued through the Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency on Saturday. A statement by the agency’s Press Secretary, Aliyu Amode, said all property owners and operators of regulated premises are expected to comply without delay.
General Manager of the agency, Jide Aina, described the exercise as a preventive public safety measure to reduce the presence of snakes around homes, schools, offices and other facilities across Kwara State, adding: “The fumigation exercise is a precautionary measure aimed at reducing the presence of snakes around homes, offices, schools and other regulated premises.”
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Beyond fumigation, residents were also urged to maintain proper environmental sanitation, ensure responsible waste disposal, and clear bushes and overgrown vegetation that often serve as hiding places for snakes.
The directive comes amid heightened public concern across Nigeria over snakebite safety. The order follows the death of Ifunanya Nwangene, a 25-year-old Nigerian singer known as Nanyah, who died on January 31, 2026, after being bitten by a cobra in her Abuja apartment while sleeping. Her death reignited national debate over the availability of antivenom in Nigerian hospitals and the adequacy of emergency medical responses to snakebite cases.
The Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency assured residents that it would continue monitoring environmental conditions across the state and implementing measures to safeguard public health and promote environmental sustainability.