Posted on 12/27/2011 2:39:40 AM PST by Cronos
A wave of coordinated bomb attacks yesterday targeted churches during Christmas service near Abuja, in Jos and in Damaturu, leaving at least 28 people dead.
Also, three security personnel were killed when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into the headquarters of the State Security Service in Damaturu, Yobe State.
Yesterday's coordinated attacks began with a car bomb that exploded with its driver at about 8am at the St Theresa's Catholic Church in Madalla, an Abuja satellite town about 40 km from the centre of the capital, as worshippers were leaving after a morning service.
At least 27 people, including two policemen, were killed in the bombing in Madalla, Niger State, witnesses and relief authorities said.
Then, a second explosion shortly after hit a church in Jos, where a policeman guarding the church died during gunfire.
In Yobe State, two bombs hit the state capital Damaturu, and a third struck Gadaka. One of the bombs was detonated by a suicide bomber who rammed into the SSS office premises as a military convoy was driving in.
The Boko Haram sect yesterday claimed responsibility for the coordinated bombings
In Madalla, the impact of the car bomb left a deep crater on the road and tossed the bomb-laden vehicle to the front of the Church. It also destroyed nearby buildings and some sections of the church.
The explosives laden-vehicle stopped on the road and two policemen went towards it asking the driver some questions. "The driver said the vehicle broke down and he should be assisted to push it away from the road. Suddenly the explosives were detonated and both the driver and the policemen were killed. The car was thrown toward the church and sparked fire in other cars nearby," a witness said.
He said the vehicle was moving toward Madalla village from Suleja before it stopped in front of the church. "It even passed police checkpoint mounted nearby safely," the witness said.
Another witness Nnana Nwachukwu told Reuters news agency, "Mass just ended and people were rushing out of the church and suddenly I heard a loud sound 'gbam'. Cars were in flames and bodies littered everywhere. The blast occurred on the road by the church and not inside the church. I happen to also live close by the church. Help was very slow in coming to the injured."
Spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Yushau Shuaib also said the blast happened on the road near the church but not inside its premises.
The Police Area Commander in Suleja, Creg Esele, said four officers were among the victims of the blast.
Senior pastor in the church, Reverend Father Isaac Achi, said the blast occurred while worshippers were leaving the church after service.
"Twelve worshippers in three vehicles were instantly killed by the blast and the vehicles were destroyed. Another unidentified body was recovered on the roof of a house adjacent to the church," he said.
A Daily Trust reporter counted 16 vehicles destroyed; three motorcycles damaged; while five nearby homes had their roofing sheets blown away. Shortly after the blast, soldiers from the Presidential Guards' Brigade, policemen and NEMA officials cordoned off the area while a police helicopter hovered around for some minutes and disappeared.
Operations officer for NEMA Labaran Aman said they conveyed 25 people to different hospitals around Suleja and later transferred some of them with 'critical cases' to other hospitals.
Dr. Ishaku Ma'aji of the Diamond Crest Hospital in Madalla said four people were receiving treatment at the hospital, including a five-year-old girl whose parent could not be found.
Thousands of furious youths set up burning road blocks on the highway from Abuja leading to Kaduna. Police and the military tried to disperse them by firing live rounds into the air with tear gas.
President Goodluck Jonathan called the incident "unfortunate" but said Boko Haram would "not be (around) for ever. It will end one day."
(In before the Amish) comment...
Boko Haram is a Muslim sect for those who didn't already guess who was behind these suicide bombings. Islam, the religion of pieces.
Methinks it is LONG PAST time for a little pushback.
BTW—can’t pork fat be used as the basis for explosives?
What a ***ked up headline. How about, "Nigeria: Muslim murderers attack on Christians' holiest day"
I’m with you — ‘spoil Christmas’ indeed. Bad verb choice.
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