A leading university in northern Nigeria's Katsina city has hired snake charmers to rid the campus of snakes after a student was bitten and died, local media reports.

The dean of student affairs at Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Suleiman Kankara, confirmed their presence on campus following the death of final year economics student Zainab Umar, the reports say.

The Daily Post news site quoted him as saying:

Yes, we have employed the services of snake charmers to assist us in ridding the campus of snakes. Although the snake charmers just began work, plans had been in the pipeline to hire them.

We normally hire the snake charmers whenever we get [a] report of [the] presence of snakes on the campus. It is unfortunate that the lady died. We know we tried our best to prevent her death."

It is estimated that 10,000 people are bitten by snakes in Nigeria every year, but the exact death toll is unknown.

More from BBC