A cold-blooded creature entered Nigeria’s southwestern Ondo State parliament on Friday, forcing state lawmakers to take an indefinite recess as they fled from the snake, according to officials.
"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 the lawmakers' spokesman Olugbenga Omole.
The snake apparently fell from the roof of Ondo State assembly into the chamber, an incident which could have been avoided if funds were available for overdue maintenance of the assembly building, said Omole.
Scary|Funny|True: “Snake in the Chamber”: Ondo State Lawmakers scamper to safety after a snake came off the roof during plenary. pic.twitter.com/6va4c96A33
SeunOkin Channels tv (@seunokin) July 25, 2019
"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," added Omole.
The spokesman said that none of the lawmakers would return before the complex was fumigated. There have been complaints of rodents and reptiles lurking in the bushes around the building, but never a snake.
The type of snake was not identified, but it was taken out of the chamber and killed, said Omole.
Nigeria is home to a number of poisonous snakes, including spitting cobras and puff adders.
A study published by the African Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences in 2001 indicated that one in eight people die after being bitten by a snake; fewer than 10 percent have access to medical treatment.
Some 500 people per 10,000 of Nigeria’s population are bitten by snakes every year, usually while farming, herding, or walking through tall grass.
