Panic as 2 Young Men in the Same Community Die From Snakebite Within 24 Hours
- Two residents of Lissam Sambo (Pangtso) have died from snakebites within a single 24-hour period between July 23 and July 24, 2026
- The remote border community lacks a nearby health facility stocked with anti-snake venom, forcing victims to rely on traditional treatment
- Community Development Association Chairman Mr Danladi Bewa has called on local and state authorities to urgently supply anti-snake venom
Two residents of Lissam Sambo (Pangtso), a remote border community in Ussa Local Government Area of Nigeria's Taraba State, died from snakebites within a single 24-hour window, plunging the area into mourning.
Source: Facebook
The first victim, Elder Bako Awanki, died on Thursday evening, 23 July 2026. A second resident, bitten at a separate location, succumbed later that same night. Both deaths have left the community, which sits along the border with the Republic of Cameroon, shaken and fearful.
Lack of anti-snake venom proves fatal
Chairman of the Lissam Sambo (Pangtso) Community Development Association, Mr Danladi Bewa, said the absence of a health facility equipped with anti-snake venom in the area left both victims with no option but to seek traditional treatment. That delay, he said, cost them their lives.
Bewa noted that this is not an isolated incident. Several residents have died in similar circumstances over the years because the nearest healthcare facilities are too far away and anti-snake venom remains out of reach for most community members.
"Timely access to the medicine would significantly reduce preventable deaths and improve emergency healthcare for residents," Bewa said.
Urgent appeal to authorities
Bewa has appealed directly to the Executive Chairman of Ussa Local Government Council, Hon. Abershi Musa, to urgently supply anti-snake venom to the community before more lives are lost.
He also called on the Taraba State Commissioner for Health to intervene and ensure that the life-saving treatment is made available in the area.
While acknowledging confidence in the willingness of both the local government chairman and the state government to act, Bewa stressed that the situation demands swift action rather than promises.
Lissam Sambo (Pangtso) is one of the most isolated communities in Ussa LGA, and its proximity to the Cameroonian border makes access to emergency medical services particularly challenging for its residents.
Source: YEN.com.gh
