A tragic lightning strike has claimed the lives of six children from the same extended family and left four other people injured in Dadiri-Tirgali village, Garum District of Ganye Local Government Area, Adamawa State.
The incident occurred at about 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, 2026, during a heavy rainfall.
According to family members, the victims were harvesting groundnuts on their family farm when the rain began. They reportedly sought shelter beneath a tree, which was later struck by lightning.
The strike killed six of the children instantly, while four others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The deceased were identified as Abdulrahman Musa, 7; Aliyu Sule Maunde, 10; Jaafar Sule Maunde, 10; Bilkisu Jibrin Maunde, 20; Musa Ahmadu, 9; and Auwalu Nuhu, 11.
Those injured include Nasiru Abubakar, 7; Rilwanu Ahmadu, 9; Sa’adatu Isa, 35; and her one-year, three-month-old daughter, Hasiya Isa. The victims were taken to the General Hospital, Ganye, where they received medical attention.
Relatives said the bodies of the deceased were later taken home after a mortuary attendant was unavailable to receive them. The six children were buried on Monday morning in accordance with Islamic rites.
One of the bereaved parents, Musa Maude, who lost both a son and a grandson, said he had sent the children to harvest groundnuts before the rain began.
He recalled receiving a distress call from one of the survivors informing him that lightning had struck the group.
“When we arrived at the farm, we found the children lying motionless beneath the tree. Two of them were still showing signs of life, while a woman who had been with them later regained consciousness,” he said.
Another grieving father, Suleiman Maude, who lost his two sons, Aliyu and Jaafar, described the incident as heartbreaking, saying he rushed to the farm after being informed of the tragedy only to find his children among the victims.
Survivor Sa’adatu Isa said she had accompanied the children to the farm and asked them to share the only umbrella she had while they waited beneath the tree for the rain to subside.
She said she remembered hearing a loud sound followed by a bright flash before losing consciousness.
“I only regained consciousness after family members came to rescue us. It still feels like a dream that six children died within moments,” she said.
Chairman of Ganye Local Government Area, Daniel Kamsobbi, expressed condolences to the bereaved families, describing the incident as a painful loss for the entire community.
He confirmed that six children died while four others were injured, adding that two of the victims had been treated and discharged, while the remaining two were still receiving treatment.
Kamsobbi also disclosed that the council had directed the police and other relevant agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy to determine whether it was solely a natural occurrence or if other factors contributed to the incident.
Meanwhile, environmental experts have advised residents, particularly farmers, to avoid taking shelter under trees during thunderstorms. They explained that tall trees are more likely to attract lightning and warned that electrical currents can travel through the tree and surrounding ground, posing a serious risk to anyone nearby.
They urged members of the public to seek refuge in sturdy buildings during thunderstorms and avoid open fields, water bodies, metal objects and electrical appliances until the storm passes.