Tragedy struck in Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State as a 14-year-old student was killed after being struck by lightning during a rainstorm.
The victim, Yahaya Ibrahim Tafida, a student of Police Secondary School, Minna, reportedly died while seeking shelter from the downpour on Monday evening.
Residents said the incident occurred at about 6 p.m. at the football field of Government Girls’ Day Secondary School, where the teenager and his friends had been playing football before the weather suddenly changed.
A resident of the area, Mohammed Musa, said the boys were caught in a heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds and were unable to return home immediately.
According to him, they took cover under a tree to escape the rain when a lightning strike hit the area.
“The rain started unexpectedly with a strong windstorm. Since they could not make it home, they decided to shelter under a tree. Moments later, lightning struck and the boy died instantly,” Musa said.
The incident threw the community into grief, with residents expressing shock over the sudden death of the teenager.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Niger State Police Command were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. Calls placed to the spokesperson of the command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, were not answered, while a text message sent to him had yet to receive a response.
The tragic occurrence has renewed concerns about the dangers associated with taking shelter under trees during thunderstorms, particularly during the rainy season.