Nigerian lawmakers desert parliament chamber after snake drops from the roof

At least until now, no confirmation has been made on the type of snake it was but it was enough reason for lawmakers in Nigeria’s parliament to run out of the chamber when a snake fell from no other place than from the roof.  

The bursting of the snake onto the chamber floor of the Ondo State parliament forced the proceedings into an indefinite recess.  

“When we were about to enter into plenary, a big snake just ran out of the chamber which disrupted our sitting and we had to hurriedly leave the chamber,” said Olugbenga Omole, a spokesman for lawmakers from Ondo State, who was quoted by AFP. 

The snake appeared to have fallen from the roof into the plenary chamber. It did not bite anyone before it was caught and killed by parliament staff, said Omole. 

The chamber, which has parts of its ceiling covers off, exposing the bare ceiling due to a lack of funds and overdue maintenance, is being blamed for how the snake found its way into the hall.  

“That chamber is no longer safe for legislative business and because of that, we decided to adjourn indefinitely. The house will be going on an indefinite recess,” Omole said. 

He said lawmakers would not return until proper fumigation of the complex was done. 

This is the first time a snake is known to have made an appearance on the assembly floor, though there have been complaints of rodents and reptiles in the bushes surrounding the complex, reports AFP. 

Nigeria has many snakes, including venomous vipers, spitting cobras and puff adders. 

According to a 2001 study published in the African Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, nearly 500 people per 100,000 of the population are bitten by snakes in Nigeria on average per year. 

One in eight dies while most people are bitten while farming, herding, or walking through bushy areas. Fewer than 10 percent of Nigeria’s snakebite victims access a hospital for treatment.