No fewer than 23 cows have been killed by thunder in Ekiti State.

The deafening thunder was accompanied by a downpour recorded in parts of the state in last couple of days.

The incident, which occurred at Okeowa Eluju, a farmstead in Iloro-Ekiti, Ijero Local Government Area of the state, caused apprehension among local residents.

While confirming the incident, a Fulani herder and owner of the dead cows, Mr Abdulkadri Kadiri, said he was devastated by the development.

Kadiri described the incident as a strange occurrence.

“I went to farm after about six hours heavy downpour on Monday morning, only to discover that 23 of my cows had died

“After careful observation, I found that there was no trace of bodily injuries on the dead cows. I want to believe it is an act of God since I did not offend or quarrel with anyone,” he said.

Kadiri, however, said he had not experienced such incident in his 35 years of business.

The Regent of the community, Mr Joseph Alofe, who also confirmed the incident, described the victim as a gentle and peace loving herder.

The community leader, who also described the incident as strange to the village, called on government and well-meaning individuals to assist the herder, to revive his business.

NAN