A LIGHTINING strike has killed six children and injured four other persons in Dadiri-Tirgali village of Garum District in Ganye Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
News Point Nigeria reports that the tragic incident occurred on Sunday, July 19, 2026, during a heavy downpour that swept through the agrarian community.
According to reports from the area, the victims were harvesting groundnuts when the lightning suddenly struck, killing six of them instantly and leaving four others with varying degrees of injuries.
An eyewitness told Daily Trust that the survivors were immediately rushed to the General Hospital in Ganye, where they are currently receiving medical attention.
The source added that the incident has thrown the entire community into mourning, with residents struggling to come to terms with the loss of the young victims.
Those who lost their lives in the tragedy 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.
The four survivors currently receiving treatment at the hospital are Nasiru Abubakar, 7; Rilwanu Ahmadu, 9; Saadatu Isa, 35; and Hasiya Isa, aged one year and three months.
Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of Ganye Local Government Council, Daniel Kamsobbi, condoled with the bereaved families, describing the development as “a tragic moment for the people in Ganye and Adamawa at large.”
Kamsobbi confirmed that six children died on the spot while four others sustained injuries in the incident.
He disclosed that a mother and her child, who were among the injured victims, had been discharged after undergoing medical examinations, while the remaining two victims are still receiving treatment at the hospital.
The council chairman further revealed that security agencies, including the police, had been directed to investigate the exact cause of the tragedy in order to determine the most appropriate sensitisation strategy for residents of the area, most of whom are farmers.
“As a council, we have already escalated the police and law enforcement units to investigate the real cause of the tragedy whether it was natural phenomenon or human-induced so that we know the best approach we will adopt in sensitising our people.
“Even if it was caused by high cultural practices in the twenty-first century, we will be able to know how to engage our people for awareness and escalate it to the state through ALGON for impact in the entire state,” Kamsobbi said.
He stressed that the findings of the investigation would help the local council and relevant authorities design effective awareness campaigns aimed at preventing similar tragedies in the future.
News Point Nigeria gathered that Ganye Local Government Area is regarded as one of the most fertile parts of Adamawa State, with residents heavily dependent on farming activities sustained by natural rainfall and irrigation.
The area is known for the year-round cultivation of various agricultural produce and has earned the reputation of being the “food basket of Adamawa State.”