Reports have emerged that lightning from yesterday’s heavy rainfall in Imo State has struck two dead and injured four others in Ndegwu in Owerri West LGA of the state.
The victims, Emeka Gerald Mbah, a 39-year-old from Umuejekaubi Umuahum Ndegwu, and his friend, Chigbumkpa Ernest Odionyenma, 36-year-old from Umuadi Umuogwuta in Ndegwu Community, were reported to have died instantly when the thunder struck during heavy rain at about 5:00 pm.
OsunDaily News gathered that an eyewitness, Stanley Opara, told Daily Post that the two victims and four other injured persons were hired to work as labourers at a building site in Umuogwuta village in Ndegwu when lightning suddenly enveloped the community with the accompanying thunder.
He disclosed that those who survived were thrown away into the building’s foundation and were seriously injured.
Opara revealed that the deceased who were both married with kids and until their sudden demise were members of the Assemblies of God Church at Ndegwu.
“It was like an electric spark and a heavy thunderstorm that shook the entire community. People were screaming in front of the site and when we rushed out we saw two figures lying down,” he said.
OsunDaily News learnt that sources from the community, who pleaded anonymity, said that the incident attracted residents of the area and many others who gnashed their teeth in pain and wondered what informed the thunder strike during the heavy rainfall.
Speculating what could have prompted the thunder, Kelechi Iwuagwu said “we are shocked till now and we cannot comprehend the mystery of the thunder strike. We know from the way they were killed that it was not ordinary and for those who survived they must thank God for their lives.”
Meanwhile, five persons have also been struck dead by a mysterious thunderstorm at Ago Dada near Ala village in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.
It was gathered that the five middle-aged men were playing football when the incident happened.
An eyewitness who is a chief hunter told THISDAY that the victims were farmers from other states, noting that the people of the village accused the head of the community of complicity in the mysterious incident, as a similar incident occurred last year in the area with nine villagers struck by a thunderstorm.
The report noted that it took the timely intervention of policemen and hunters to rescue the village head from being lynched.
Another eyewitness who is a cocoa farmer, Godwin Achon said “the son of my friend who is an indigene of Bekwarra Local Government Area of Cross River State is one of the victims. My friend has been in the village for a couple of years. It is so shocking. We are already planning on how to take the corpse to Ogoja for burial.”
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the development noting that only four young men were involved in the development.
Odunlami, however, described the issue as a natural disaster, adding that the four young men were playing football at the community school, and it happened around evening time.
This article was originally published on OsunDaily News
