Lightning strikes church, 2 dead, pastor hospitalised

A bolt of lightning that struck the Heavenly Sure Charismatic Church, in Owerri North LGA of Imo State has left two female members dead, and the pastor hospitalized.

The incidence happened while the members of the church were preparing for one of their programmes tagged Holy Ghost Hour prayer session usually held in the premises of Comprehensive Secondary School, Emekuku.

The two women, 25-year-old Chioma Jonathan, a native of Obiangwu in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area and Chinonye Anyanwu, 26, from Ahiazu Mbaise LGA, both in Imo State, reportedly died on the spot, while the pastor, Luke Nwokocha who was thrown across the room, lost consciousness and had to be rushed to the hospital, with injuries.

Pastor Nwokocha, who is the General Overseer of the church, narrated the incidence: “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.”

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Nwokocha a native of Umuakuru Emekuku in Owerri North LGA stated that the bolt of lightning  threw, across the room and that his wife, Pastor Eucharia and the other church member rushed him to the hospital for medical treatment.

He continued, “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.”

The state’s Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu confirmed the incident and 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.

 

 

 

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