“They Are My Only Livelihood” – Herdsman Devastated as Lightning Kills 32 Cows in Ogun Community

By Emmanuel Kwada

Abdullahi Idris, a father of six and herder in Osara village, Obantoko, Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, lost his entire herd of 32 cows to a lightning strike during a torrential downpour on Saturday, June 21, 2025.

This has never happened before in all of my existence until now. They are my only source of livelihood

The incident, which occurred around noon, has left the community in shock and Idris grappling with the loss of his sole source of income, valued at over N50 million.

“It was a black Saturday,” Idris lamented describing the event as unprecedented in his lifetime. “This has never happened before in all of my existence until now. They are my only source of livelihood,” he said, his voice heavy with grief as he recounted the moment the thunderstorm struck, killing his cows instantly.

The herder, who supports a family of six and over 20 others through his livestock business, pleaded for government assistance to recover from the devastating blow.

I saw these dead cows where they usually keep them before grazing

The incident was confirmed by the Baale of Osara, Wasiu Afolabi, who was alerted by Fulani herders at 2 p.m. on Saturday. “I saw these dead cows where they usually keep them before grazing,” Afolabi said.

He promptly reported the matter to the Aregbe Police Division and Dr. Afolashade Adeyemo, Chairman of Odeda Local Government.

The Ogun State Police Commissioner, Lanre Ogunlowo, verified the event, noting that the Divisional Police Officer visited the scene at 1:30 p.m., confirming that the 32 cows were struck dead during the heavy rainfall. “Initial observations revealed no visible injuries or foul play,” said police spokesperson Omolola Odutola, pointing to the thunderstorm as the cause.

It’s rather unfortunate; 32 big cows were affected and died on the spot

The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Oludaisi Elemide, described the incident as a “natural occurrence” and urged the state government to provide aid to ease Idris’s financial burden.

“It’s rather unfortunate; 32 big cows were affected and died on the spot,” Elemide said, emphasizing the need for intervention. However, residents have raised alarms over the decomposing carcasses, which were left unburied days later, posing a public health risk due to the foul stench.

Odeda Local Government Chairman Adeyemo assured the community that only 28 carcasses were found and would be buried with lime and chemicals to prevent disease spread, though residents reported delays as of Tuesday evening.

The state government and police have been supportive, but this disaster has left my brother with nothing

Hassan Momodu, Idris’s elder brother, estimated the loss at N100 million, underscoring the scale of the tragedy for the herders. “The state government and police have been supportive, but this disaster has left my brother with nothing,” Momodu lamented.