Kwara orders statewide anti-snake fumigation

The Kwara State Government has directed an immediate statewide anti-snake fumigation exercise across residential buildings, institutions and other regulated premises to protect residents from increasing snake attacks.

The directive was issued on Saturday through the Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency following reports of a growing number of snakebite incidents in parts of the state.

In a statement released by the agency’s Press Secretary, Aliyu Amode, property owners and operators of regulated premises were instructed to carry out the fumigation exercise without delay.

The General Manager of the agency, Jide Aina, said the measure was adopted as a preventive public safety step aimed at reducing the presence of snakes around homes, schools, offices and other facilities across the state.

“All regulated premises, institutions, and residential building owners across the state are hereby directed to immediately carry out anti-snake fumigation exercises as part of efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of residents,” Aina said.

He explained that the exercise forms part of broader precautionary efforts to reduce the likelihood of snake encounters in populated areas.

“The fumigation exercise is a precautionary measure aimed at reducing the presence of snakes around homes, offices, schools and other regulated premises across Kwara State,” he added.

Residents were also urged to maintain proper environmental sanitation around their homes to discourage reptiles and other harmful animals from inhabiting such areas.

Aina advised property owners and occupants to ensure proper waste disposal and avoid practices that could create habitats for dangerous animals.

He further called on community leaders, landlords and residents to support the government’s environmental safety campaign by clearing bushes and overgrown vegetation that often serve as hiding places for snakes.

The agency assured residents that it would continue monitoring environmental conditions across the state while implementing measures to safeguard public health and promote environmental sustainability.

The development comes amid growing national concern over the availability of antivenom in hospitals, following the death of 25-year-old Nigerian singer Nanyah, born Ifunanya Nwangene, who died on January 31, 2026 after being bitten by a cobra in her apartment in Abuja.

Her death has intensified calls from public health advocates for improved access to anti-snake venom in medical facilities across the country, warning that delays in treatment often lead to preventable fatalities.