Personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), identified as Ogah Bercy, a Lance Corporal, has lost her life after she was bitten by a snake at her apartment in NAF Base, Bill Clinton Drive, Abuja.
It was gathered that Bercy, who was attached to Intelligence Operations at Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), lived at CBQ 1, Flat 2 of the Base before the incident happened last Friday at about 6:10am.
A source, who was familiar with the incident, explained that the airwoman with NAF14/28952F, before her death, was in her toilet when the snake bit her.
The official added that the late airwoman quietly drove to NAF Hospital, Abuja for treatment and further medical care.
“Late Lance Corporal Bercy, after the snake bite, took her child and her cousin sister to her neighbour before she drove to 063 NAFH for treatment,” one of the officers explained.
According to her, the late officer’s neighbours also narrated how they had been seeing snakes within the vicinity.
Another officer noted that the deceased officer and her neighbours felt it was a water reserve tank located at the back of the block harbouring the snakes.
The source added, “The particular snake that bit her must have run away from under the water reserved tank because of high temperature or to look for food and penetrate through one of the chambers also located at the back of the block and therefore have easy access into the toilet of the airwoman.
“On the 9th of November 2021, the late airwoman’s block was fumigated but because she was not around, her room was not fumigated.
“Since the fumigation was done recently, the snake must have entered the chamber and was looking for an escape route and saw the Late Lance Corporal Ogah’s house as the safest place because it was not fumigated.”
The officer, however, called on authorities of the Nigerian Air Force to fumigate all offices and living quarters in the base as well as encourage the need to conduct lectures on safety techniques on managing snake’s bites and other wildlife.
The spokesman of NAF, Edward Gabkwet, could not be reached for comment as at when filing this report.
