Nigerian singer and architect, Ifunanya Lucy Nwagene, has been mourned in a deeply emotional tribute by her best friend, Paschal Nworgu, after she reportedly died from a snake bite in her Abuja apartment.

According to Paschal, the bond between them began seven years ago at a music audition in Lagos, where their shared love for hymns and classical music sparked an instant connection. He recalled that they first spoke during the Hymnodia Season One auditions in Ikeja, a meeting that would grow into a creative and spiritual partnership.

Paschal said he convinced her to choose Abuja for her national youth service so she could pursue music more seriously. He believed her rare soprano voice would make her one of the most sought-after crossover singers in the country, a prediction he says quickly came true as her performances began to attract a devoted following.

In his tribute, he described how Ifunanya’s career took a new turn when she decided to deepen her relationship with God and focus on sacred music. With his guidance on content and video production, she began posting hymns and spiritual songs that resonated widely, including a 30-day Lenten hymn challenge and a widely shared rendition of the UEFA Champions League anthem. Paschal said she sent almost every video to him first, trusting his judgment on what to share with the world.

Her growing popularity eventually led her to resign from her job as an architect so she could commit fully to music. Together, they made plans for duets, new projects and a busy 2026 schedule that will now never be realized.

Paschal recounted the harrowing final moments after the snake bite, saying he watched her struggle for breath and held her as doctors tried to revive her. He described praying desperately, reciting the Hail Mary and begging her to return, unable to accept that the friend he had known for “seven years and four days” was gone.

He remembered her as a “national treasure” whose voice drew souls to God, a loyal friend who sacrificed for others and lived, in his words, “a saintly life.” In his farewell, he wrote that there would never be another Ifunanya, and that his only consolation is the belief that she is now “with the host of angels and saints.”