Snake kills IMT female student

Vanguard Online Edition
Written by Tony Edike
Tuesday, 10 February 2009

RAGEDY struck in Ogui urban area of Enugu last weekend, when a final year National Diploma Mass Communication student of the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu, Miss Bibian Nnamonu was bitten to death by a mysterious snake. The incident, according to an eye-witness, occurred at No. 3C Onuator in Ogui area of the coal city when the snake identified as Cobra attacked the lady said to be an indigene of Ikem in Isiuzo local government area of the state.

Vanguard learnt that the victim was sleeping in between two other ladies identified as her room mates and also students of IMT in the early hours of Friday, when the cobra bit her leg. She suddenly woke up with the severe pains and screamed forcing her roommates and other neighbours off their beds.

Her roommates and other sympathizers who rushed to the scene immediately killed the snake, while some people, who have knowledge of unorthodox method of treating snake bites, moved into action to get her treated.

The eyewitness said some people quickly procured what looked like a crude oil which they poured on her bleeding leg apparently to “neutralize the poison deposited by the cobra”, but the pains increased, forcing them to rush her to the Parklane Teaching Hospital of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) at about 4 am. The snake was also taken along with the lady to the hospital.

But before the doctors at the hospital could commence treatment at the emergency ward, she had given up. The student was said to have died two hours after the cobra bite.

Although the mystery surrounding the incident has sent jitters down the nerves of some residents of the area, while some people suspected that the snake might have been sent by an evil and diabolic person to specifically attack the lady for reasons best known to the sender.

Some wondered how the cobra which measured about five feet could sneak into a living room at night and singled out the lady for the attack. “This is definitely a mysterious incident which is difficult for anybody to comprehend. We suspect that the snake was sent to attack the lady,” said an eyewitness.

Efforts to speak with the landlord of the premises, predominantly occupied by students, proved abortive as he was said to have traveled out of the city.

Meanwhile, other occupants of the room where the lady was bitten by the cobra have deserted the premises, while fears has gripped other neighbours, who refused to comment on the incident when Vanguard called yesterday.