Snake At House of Assembly, One Dead

On November 3rd 2015 members of the House of Assembly were gripped with fear as an unidentified manual labourer died of snake bite.

The labourer, said to be a native of Abakiliki in Ebonyi state was contracted to cut grasses at the complex.

He was hired alongside his colleagues from “Ogbo Mmanu”, a popular hub for manual labourers in Enugu, to clear the thick grasses that had taken over the Assembly complex.

As they were executing the job, they saw a big snake and tried to kill it, inflicting a deep wound on its head.

According to an eyewitness, who refused to be mentioned, the labourers though they had succeeded in killing the snake and returned to work but unfortunately, the wounded serpent, which had been lying still as if dead suddenly attacked the victim and bit him on the ankle.

His colleagues finally succeeded in killing the serpent and rushed him to Parklane General Hospital in Enugu.

He was relocated to a herbal home in the Ugwuaji area of Enugu, after his condition failed to improve at the general hospital.

It was learnt that he died a few hours after he was brought to the herbal home.

Report has it that the management of the House of Assembly wanted to cover up the incident.

Ebere Amaraizu, the police public relations officer, Enugu state police command, confirmed the incident.

The remains of the deceased has been reportedly taken by his kinsmen to his country home in Abakiliki for burial.

Snake bites can be deadly if not treated quickly. A snake head can keep biting for up to an hour after being decapitated. Last month, over 50 people were bitten by snakes fleeing flooded areas in Kanam, Kanke and other communities in Plateau state.

In September, a mild drama played out at the Ota High court premises in Ogun state, as a mysterious snake forced a judge to release 7 detained journalists.

Punch