How a Covenant University Student Died While Help Was Delayed by Prayers

The tragic death of Mordi Nwense Daniel, a student of Engineering at Covenant University, has triggered widespread outrage and fresh calls for accountability in Nigeria’s private university system — particularly over how delayed emergency response and religious practices may have cost a young life.

Daniel, who was in his early 20s, died on Saturday, June 7, after allegedly being struck by lightning while playing football with fellow students on the university’s pitch during rainfall. But the circumstances surrounding what happened after the strike — not just the strike itself — have raised serious concerns.

Eyewitnesses say Daniel could have stood a chance of survival if immediate medical attention was provided. Instead, according to multiple reports and firsthand accounts, university staff allegedly resorted first to praying for the unconscious student, delaying his movement to the campus medical centre.

“Imagine pastors praying for a thunder-struck student instead of rushing him to the clinic the moment his mates called for help,” a parent whose child witnessed the incident told Saturday Vanguard. “My second child was there. I know what I went through resisting their pretence for four years.”

As news of Daniel’s death spread online, so did condemnation. Many took to platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) to call out what they described as Covenant University’s “pattern” of cover-ups and medical negligence.

On Instagram, Campusgiant posted:

“Covenant University is mourning the loss of Mordi, who tragically died after being struck by lightning… Social media posts by witnesses claim a delayed and inadequate emergency response, with concerns over medical preparedness.”

On X, several users were more direct:

@afrogodd wrote, “Covenant University always covers up the death of students and in many cases, they are complicit in the cause of death.”

@ceotbk said, “A student (now dead) just got struck down by lightning and the school is trying to cover it up because of their medical negligence.”

Reacting to the tragedy, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, National President of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), described the death as “unfortunate,” but stressed the need for emergency medical readiness in all schools — especially at the university level.

“Thunder strikes happen across the world, but the key issue is preparedness,” he said. “Whether it is a primary school or university, each institution should have first aid facilities on ground. First aid can save lives.”

He added that while no one can stop natural phenomena like lightning, poor response systems compound tragedies and should be addressed.

As of press time, Covenant University has made no official comment on the incident. Repeated calls to Chi Omoniwu, the Head of the Media Unit, went unanswered, and messages sent via SMS and WhatsApp were not responded to.

Meanwhile, Mordi Nwense Daniel was laid to rest on Tuesday, with his family, friends, and schoolmates mourning a life many believe could have been saved.