Lightning Strike Kills 8-Year-Old Secondary School Boy During Football March In Bayelsa

An eight-year-old boy identified as Stephen Akanama has been struck dead by a ferocious lightning in Imiringi, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The deceased, a junior student of Matha Day Secondary School, was struck dead by lightning during a football match with his mates under the thunderstorm during a downpour on Wednesday evening.

It was gathered the deceased, who is from the Kolo community but residing with his aunt at Imiringi, was trying to retrieve the ball from where it was trapped somewhere across the land used as football pitch when he was struck by the lightning.

The deceased and his friends were said to be playing the football match behind a popular pub in the area before the incident occurred.

A close family source, who spoke anonymously, said prior to the incident, the deceased was indoors all through Wednesday until probably when a heavy rainfall started.

”I can’t say if he left home as the rain was about to begin. To our surprise, a woman rushed to the house to tell us that our brother is dead. I could not believe it and rushed to the scene.

“Upon sighting him on the ground, we rushed him to Christ the King hospital and he was confirmed dead on arrival,” the source said.

When contacted on the development, the spokesman for the State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, said the incident had yet to be reported at the Kolo Divisional Headquarters covering the area.

KanyiDaily had also reported how three officials of the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) were struck to death by a mysterious thunder lightning in Ogun State.