An
eight-year-old boy and 10 others were killed on Sunday when suicide
bombers attacked St. Finbarr’s Catholic Church, Rayfield, Jos, Plateau
State.
One of the bombers died in the blast
while another, who barely survived, was mobbed and killed by an irate
crowd at the church where a former Deputy Governor of the state, Mrs.
Pauline Tallen, worships.
The church’s security team were said to have recorded the highest number of casualties.
Carcass of the suicide car |
Yesterday’s attack came barely two weeks
after suicide bombers had attacked the headquarters of the Church of
Christ in Nigeria, where the state Governor, Jonah Jang, worships.
Sources said that the St. Finbarr’s
Church bombers had planned to attack the 10am Mass favoured by many
prominent residents of Rayfield.
The church is located less than two
kilometres to Government House, Rayfield, and about 100 metres to the
television arm of the Plateau State Radio and Television Corporation.
After the incident, four other persons
were reportedly killed in reprisal attacks in various parts of the Jos
metropolis. Ten others were injured.
Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer, Samuel Dabai, however, put the casualty at 10.
On Sunday, Boko Haram claimed
responsiblity for the bombing, telling reporters via a telephone call
that the suicide bombing was carried out to avenge the “killing and
dehumanisation of Muslims”.
“We attacked simply because it’s a
church and we can decide to attack any other church. We have just
started,” said Abu Qaqa, the spokesperson of the sect.
Boko Haram had last December 25, killed 44 worshippers at St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State.
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