Nigeria: Suicide Bombers Attack Church, At Least 11 Christians Killed, Dozens Injured

By Heather Murdock, VOA – “ABUJA — Twin suicide bombers have attacked a church inside a military base in Nigeria’s Kaduna State, a volatile area known for sectarian and religious violence. Reuters news agency quotes a military spokesman as saying 11 people were killed and dozens injured.

Authorities say a bus was driven into St. Andrews Protestant Church inside a military base around noon Sunday, about ten minutes before a second suicide bomber detonated a Toyota Camry just outside.

In an e-mail to reporters, the director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Bola Koleoso, said he cannot yet confirm a casualty count but the injured have been taken to two separate hospitals.

Christian Association of Nigeria Youth Chair Diji Haruna says the church service was over when the bombs went off, but clergy and choir members were still inside.

‘Today is another bad day for Nigeria. It’s another bad day for Christians, both Christians and Muslims. Anybody that loves peace, today is a bad day for them,’ said Haruna.

The bombing took place in Jaji town about 30 kilometers from the state capital. Haruna says the military has now locked down the area. Although the bombs went off hours ago, he says information is still scarce.

‘The people that died are being carried to the mortuary and those who are injured are being carried to the hospital. It should be a military hospital in which they will still quarantine the place. You hardly get access to those places,’ said Haruna.” Read more.

Nigeria: Boko Haram Kill 3 Children Of Officer In Their Mother’s Presence – “Three children between the ages of 5,7 and 12 were Thursday slaughtered in the presence of their mother in Sulimanti ward of Maiduguri metropolis when the bread winner Mr. Aduju Zubairu an SSS personnel was away, even as five others were also shot dead during a night attack by gunmen suspected to be members of Jamatul Ahlis Sunnah Lid Daawa wal Jihad popularly known as Boko Haram. Our correspondent who was at the scene of the incident in Sulimanti, Thursday morning, where the children were slaughtered gathered that the assailants stormed the resident of the victims at exactly 1:55 am and forcefully broke the main gate, violently woke up the three children and slaughtered them before their mother.” Source – Information Nigeria.

Flashback: Nigeria: ‘Proud Soldiers Of Allah’ Vows To Take Down Government And Destroy Christianity, ‘We Will Devour You … Our Joy Is To Die In Jihad’ – “‘You, Jonathan, cannot stop us; instead we will devour you in the three months like you are boasting … We are proud soldiers of Allah; we will never give up as we fight the infidels. We will emerge as winners … for us, [death] is eternal victory to die working for Allah. Our joy is to die in Jihad for Allah … We are not doing physical human service, but Allah’s work … We are not afraid because we are not doing man’s work but Allah’s work…” Read more.