In a bizarre case of ill fate, two women,
25-year-old Chioma Jonathan, a native of Obiangwu in Ngor Okpala Local
Government Area and Chinonye Anyanwu, aged 26, from Ahiazu Mbaise LGA,
both in Imo State, died when they were struck by lightning.
The unfortunate incident happened when the two women went to
participate in the regular Holy Ghost Hour prayer session of Heavenly
Sure Charismatic Church, a Pentecostal church, usually held in the
premises of Comprehensive Secondary School, Emekuku in Owerri North LGA,
Imo State.
Also affected in the lightning strike was the 54-year-old General
Overseer of the church, Pastor Luke Nwokocha, who led the short-lived
prayer session. He temporarily lost consciousness and was rushed to a
hospital by his wife and another member of the church, where he was
revived. In addition, he sustained injuries on his leg.
At the headquarters of the police command in Imo State, Pastor Nwokocha recounted to Sunday Sun,
what happened. “We always have fellowship every Tuesday. On the fateful
day, we had our ‘Holy Ghost Hour’. We were five members in the church.
The two deceased sisters, including the sister that swept the church
premises; Evangelist Solomon and myself were arranging the benches.
Around 4.30pm heavy rain started falling. I started praying for the
programme.”
Then there was a sudden lightning flash followed by the deafening
sound of thunder. The two women, who were in the direct path of the
electric field created by the lightning flash died instantly, when they
were struck by the streak. Nwokocha, who apparently was off the direct
path of the streak received a much lower jolt of electricity, which,
however, was strong enough to throw him across the room, cause temporary
loss of consciousness and physical injuries on his leg and hands.
“My wife, Pastor Eucharia Nwokocha and the other church member rushed me to the hospital for medical treatment,” he said.
Nwokocha who hails from Umuakuru Emekuku in Owerri North LGA further
explained: “I have been in this ministry for 26 years. I have never
experienced anything like this. I was called into ministry in 1990.
Until that time, I was a policeman and served in the Imo State Police
Command and retired at Akwa Ibom Police Command in July 2007. Following
my retirement, I decided to focus on my ministry fulltime. I do not
understand how it happened, its only God who understands and knows
all.”
Following the incident, the elder brother of Chioma Jonathan reported
the case to the Owerri North Divisional Police Station, from where the
case was transferred to the homicide department at the headquarters of
the Imo State Police Command, Owerri, the state capital.
The Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu who confirmed the incident
said it was a strange occurrence. He added that the cleric was
undergoing interrogation at the State Criminal Investigation Department
while the corpses of the dead women had been deposited at the mortuary
of the Holy Rosary Hospital, Emekuku.
One of the elders of Emekuku community, Godwin John told Sunday Sun that the whole thing was a mystery.
“We know Pastor Luke usually holds the ‘Holy Ghost Hour’ prayer
session. What happened to Pastor Luke Nwokocha and the lightning strike
that killed two members of his church is an abomination. We will consult
the elders,” he said.
Meanwhile Lakanu has reassured relations of the deceased women that
proper investigation would be carried out by the officer in charge of
the homicide section of State Criminal Investigation Department, Supol
Innocent Obi, who is working hard with the detectives under him to
ensure that there is no miscarriage of justice