Panic As Lightning Kills School Student In Bayelsa

There was palpable tension in Imiringi community of Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on Wednesday evening as a boy was struck to death by lightning while playing football.

The deceased, a student of Matha Day Secondary School, identified as Stephen Akanama, was struck by lightning during a football match under the thunderstorm.

GIOTV gathered that the deceased, who is from Kolo community and residing with his aunt at Imirringi, was in company of his age-mates when the lightning struck him dead.

A community source revealed that the deceased was trying to retrieve the ball from across the land used as the football field when he was struck by the lightning. The deceased and his age-mates were reported to be playing football behind a popular drinking bar known as Blue Bar owned by one Opiko.

A close family source said that the deceased was indoors all through Wednesday until the heavy rainfall started. He said, ” a woman rushed to the house to tell us that our brother was 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.”

When contacted on the development, the Spokesman to the State Police Command, SP, Asimin Butswat, said the incident had not been reported at the Kolo divisional headquarters yet.