Tragic Snakebite Claims Life of Young Farmer in Benue Community, Angered Youths Hunt Down and Kill the snake
The victim, 28-year-old Terungwa Iorhemba, a hardworking farmer from Tse-Agberagba village in Gwer West Local Government Area, was bitten on the leg while tending to his yam farm on the morning of February 17, 2026. According to family members, Terungwa had stepped on the snake hidden among the thick undergrowth near his plot, a common hazard during the early rainy season when reptiles become more active in search of food and shelter.
Friends rushed him to the nearest primary health center in the community, but the facility lacked the necessary antivenom and basic emergency supplies to treat the bite effectively. Desperate efforts to transfer him to a better-equipped hospital in Makurdi, the state capital, were hampered by poor road conditions and the time it took to arrange transport. By the time he arrived, the venom had spread rapidly, and despite the doctors' attempts to stabilize him, Terungwa succumbed to complications late that evening.
"He was a quiet, hardworking young man who always helped everyone around him," said his elder brother, Terver Iorhemba, speaking amid tears. "He left home that morning full of energy, talking about the good harvest we expected this year. No one imagined this would happen. We tried everything possible, but the health center couldn't do much, and by the time we got to Makurdi, it was too late."
The news of Terungwa's death spread quickly through the close knit community, where farming remains the main source of livelihood. Grief quickly turned to anger among his peers, many of whom had grown up with him and shared the same fields. Convinced the snake was still lurking nearby perhaps drawn back by the scent or simply slow to move after the encounter a group of about a dozen youths organized a search party that same night.
Armed with machetes, sticks, and torches, they combed the bush around the farm. After several hours, they located the python-like reptile coiled near a fallen log not far from where Terungwa had been working. Without hesitation, they killed it, bringing the snake back to the village as a symbolic act of retribution and to prevent further incidents.
Community leader Mr. Kwaghfan Akpen, who mediated discussions among the youths afterward, explained that while the action was driven by raw emotion, it also reflected a deeper frustration with recurring dangers in the area. "Snakebites are not new here, especially during farming season," he said. "People lose loved ones, livestock, even children sometimes. But when help doesn't come fast enough from hospitals or government programs, people feel they have no choice but to take matters into their own hands."
Health experts have long warned about the high incidence of snakebites in rural parts of Benue and other northern states, where agricultural work brings humans and venomous species into frequent contact. Many bites go unreported or untreated due to reliance on traditional remedies, distance to medical facilities, and the chronic shortage of effective antivenom in public health centers. In recent years, advocacy groups have called for better stockpiling of antivenom, community education on prevention, and improved rural healthcare infrastructure to reduce fatalities from what is often a preventable cause of death.
Terungwa's family has since buried him in accordance with local customs, with hundreds of mourners turning out to pay their respects. His death has reignited conversations in the community about safety on farms, the need for prompt medical response, and how to balance grief with responsible actions in the face of tragedy.
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