Six children have been killed and four other persons injured after a lightning strike hit a group of farmers harvesting groundnuts in Dadiri-Tirgali village, Garum District of Ganye Local Government Area, Adamawa State.

The tragic incident occurred on Sunday, July 19, 2026, during a heavy downpour, throwing the agrarian community into mourning.

According to eyewitness accounts, the victims were working on a farmland when lightning suddenly struck.

Four survivors sustained varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to the General Hospital, Ganye, where they received medical attention.

Two of the victims, a mother and her child, have since been treated and discharged, while the remaining two continue to receive treatment.

Those who lost their lives 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 injured are Nasiru Abubakar (7), Rilwanu Ahmadu (9), Saadatu Isa (35), and Hasiya Isa (1 year and three months).

Reacting to the tragedy, the Chairman of Ganye Local Government Area, Hon. Daniel Kamsobbi, expressed condolences to the bereaved families, describing the incident as "a tragic moment for the people of Ganye and Adamawa State at large."

He confirmed that six victims died instantly, while four others sustained injuries, adding that the council was closely monitoring the condition of those still receiving treatment.

Kamsobbi disclosed that the council had directed the police and other security agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident to determine whether it resulted solely from a natural phenomenon or whether other factors were involved.

He explained that the outcome of the investigation would guide the council's public enlightenment campaign for residents, most of whom depend on farming for their livelihood.

"As a council, we have already escalated the matter to the police and law enforcement units to investigate the real cause of the tragedy, whether it was a 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 harmful cultural practices in the twenty-first century, we will be able to engage our people through awareness and escalate the findings to the state through ALGON for wider intervention," he said.

Ganye Local Government Area is widely regarded as one of Adamawa State's most productive agricultural zones, renowned for year-round cultivation through rainfall and irrigation farming, a reputation that has earned it the nickname "the food basket of Adamawa State."