A tragic incident has struck a community in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, as a thunderstorm reportedly claimed the life of a Senior Secondary School One (SS1) student, leaving two others injured.
The deceased, identified as Nkemka Okpe-Enya, was a student of Comprehensive Secondary School, Ndiebor Amachi.
She was said to have been struck by thunder alongside two other persons while returning from the farm.
The incident occurred penultimate weekend at the Ebonyi River forest, popularly known as “Offia Ikpenyi,” located in Onuebonyi Ndinwogba village, Amachi community.
Sources in the area revealed that the three victims were caught in a heavy thunderstorm during their return journey. While all three were affected by the lightning strike, Nkemka was reportedly killed instantly, while the other two victims survived.
A resident of the village, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that the area where the incident occurred is notorious for frequent lightning strikes during storms.
“The place has a history of thunder and lightning. People are always cautious when the weather is bad, but this one was very unfortunate,” the source said.
The incident has thrown the entire community into mourning, with residents expressing shock over the sudden loss of the young girl described as hardworking and supportive to her family.
Meanwhile, the father of the deceased, Mr. Emmanuel Okpe-Enya, has questioned the circumstances surrounding his daughter’s death. While expressing deep grief, he called on divine justice, asking God to hold accountable anyone he believes may be connected to the tragedy.
Community members have since called for increased awareness and caution during severe weather conditions to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
