10 dead, 145 wounded in Kaduna church bombing, attacks

A suicide
attacker drove a car bomb into
a church on Sunday, sparking
fierce reprisals that saw a
Christian mob burn a man
alive in day of a bloody of
violence that left at least 10
people dead and 145
wounded.
Christian youths took to the
streets of the northern city of
Kaduna with machetes and
sticks after the blast, targeting
those they believed to be
Muslims as anger again boiled
over due to repeated church
bombings in recent months.
Attackers beat a motorcycle
taxi driver near the church,
then put his bike on top of him
before dousing him with petrol
and setting him on fire, an AFP
correspondent who saw the
violence said. Two other
bloodied bodies apparently
killed by the mob were seen
near the church.
A rescue official on condition
of anonymity also spoke of the
man being burnt and said
rescuers could not save him
because the mob was too
violent.
The mob also attacked an
ambulance in the ensuing
violence, but there was no
indication that rescuers were
wounded.
“So far we have eight dead
and 145 injured from the
church blast,” Musa Ilallah,
regional coordinator for the
National Emergency
Management Agency, told AFP,
noting that his death toll
included the suspected
bomber.
The attacker rammed what
residents said was an SUV into
St. Rita church, shaking the
Malali neighbourhood of
Kaduna, a city that has
suffered a wave of deadly
violence blamed on Islamist
extremist group Boko Haram.
“All of a sudden it drove on
high speed and rammed into
the church wall, forcing its way
into the church premises,” said
witness Samuel Emmanuel.
“Initially I thought the driver
had lost control of the vehicle.
Suddenly there was a huge
explosion as the car reached
the church building. It was
dust, fire and smoke all over.”
A spokesman for Nigeria’s
National Emergency
Management Agency
confirmed the bomb attack
and said rescuers had been
rushed to the scene.
“A number of casualties
evacuated to hospitals,” said
Yushau Shuaib. The incident
was suspected to be triggered
by a suicide bomber in a car.”
An AFP correspondent said
mobs were yelling “why the
church?” and some were
carrying weapons, including
machetes. Local elders were
seeking to restore calm.
Residents had earlier spoken
of clashes having broken out
between Christian and Muslim
residents.
The attack came after Friday’s
Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday,
but it was not clear if there
was any link.
In June, Boko Haram claimed
responsibility for three suicide
attacks on churches in Kaduna
state, where the city of Kaduna
is located, which led to deadly
rioting. Dozens of people were
killed in the violence.
Boko Haram’s insurgency in
northern and central Nigeria
has led to more than 2,800
deaths since 2009. While
Muslims have often been its
victims, it has in recent months
also specifically targeted
churches.

APF