With the sudden surge of a heatwave across many cities in Nigeria, it is no surprise that it has come with its dangers.

Within the space of 1 week, many Nigerians have raised the alarm on Social Media about the sudden increase of one of the most dreaded reptiles, snakes, in their environment.

It would have been less scary if the reptiles were just seen crawling their way into a bush nearby, but that has not been the case as these snakes are seen inside the living room, mainly in the toilet.

Research has shown that Snakes are more active at a temperature above 60degree Fahrenheit and go into brumation at a temperature lesser than 50 degrees depending on the environment.

With the news of ‘snake in the toilet’ taking over the Nigerian media space, with one casualty already recorded, I will share some of the reported cases across the country and preventive measures that have been suggested to avoid ‘snake invasion’ in your home.

Reported Cases of Snakes in Invasion

• This incident caused chills down the spine of many Nigerians. On Friday 23rd November, news broke out that a Nigerian Airforce Woman, Lance Corporal Bercy Ogah, died after being reportedly bitten by a snake while using the restroom in her home.

• The Abuja based Airforce officer was reported to have driven her children and a relation staying with her to her neighbour’s house before visiting the Nigerian Air Force hospital, where she gave up the ghost. An eyewitness reported that her vicinity was fumigated recently, but she was not at home, which probably had made the snake take refuge in her toilet.
• Another incident of ‘snake in the toilet’ reportedly happened in Akungba, Ondo State. The resident shared a video of a snake in the toilet bowl hidden from the surface though no casualty was recorded.
• Another video made the rounds on Social Media when a resident of Oshogbo shared a video of her experience after killing a snake in her kitchen.
• A resident of Bucknor waterside in Lagos shared her ordeal as she woke up in the morning to start her Generator, just for her to notice a snake crawling up her burglary. She called for help in what seemed like a battle to kill the snake; the video showed how the burglary was dented before they successfully killed the reptile.
• And just this morning, a Maryland resident in Lagos shared a video where he was saying, “This happened yesterday; I live close to a canal at Maryland, Lagos. My apartment is on the ground floor; thank God I observed its movement from the bucket.” The said snake was seen unwrapping itself out of a black bucket, crawling up the wall to find an escape.

So many reactions have trailed this sudden invasion of snakes as fear has gripped the hearts of many. The fear of the reptile alone can cause sleepless nights with people sharing their protective and preventive measures.

Famous Nigerian music producer Don Jazzy shared a video online saying, “It’s like we will now stand to use the loo”. He asked someone present how they find their way into the toilets, and the man replied ‘through the septic tanks”, but said fumigating should be a preventive measure; Don Jazzy replied to him to start immediately.

Someone was seen pouring an ‘Olive Oil’ into the toilet bowl while calling the name of Jesus.

Another video surfaced where the person poured hot water into the water closet, saying, “You think to say you dey wise, no weapon formed against me shall prosper.”

With all being said, the best thing to do at this time to prevent this dreaded reptile from invading your home is to take a lot of caution.