Suicide bomber kills six inside Redeemed church

A suicide bomber on Sunday found his way into the
City of David Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church
of God in Potiskum, Yobe State, and detonated an
explosive device which led to the death of five
worshippers and the bomber.
One other person also sustained injuries.
A source said the dead bomber, suspected to be a
member of the terrorist Islamic sect, Boko Haram,
entered the church auditorium during Sunday service
with the Improvised Explosive Device strapped to his
body.
The source said the bomber headed for the altar as
soon as he entered the church.
“Before he (the suicide bomber) could be stopped, he
has detonated the bomb strapped to him, which led to
the death of six people; the suicide bomber, the pastor
of the church, Dotun Okerinola; and four others,” the
source told one of our correspondents on the phone.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Toyin Gbadegesin,
an assistant superintendent of police, who confirmed
the incident to one of our correspondents, said “A male
suicide bomber at about 10 o’clock this morning
detonated a bomb at Redeemed Church, in the Jigawa
area of Potiskum, killing five persons including the
suicide bomber.
He also said another female worshipper in the church
sustained serious injuries in the attack and that the
victim was being attended to at the Potiskum General
Hospital.
A source in the hospital, who pleaded anonymity, said
five bodies were brought there from the scene of the
attack and that “one woman who sustained serious
injuries at the scene is receiving treatment.”
Reuters quoted a Red Cross official as saying that the
casualties would have been higher if not that
worshippers were just trooping into the church when
the bomb went off.
“People were just going to the church when the bomber
entered, otherwise the casualty figure would have been
higher,” said Red Cross official, Hassan Alhaji
Muhammad, who reportedly visited the scene of the
explosion on the outskirts of Potiskum.
In Jos, twin bomb blasts occurred late on Sunday with
many deaths recorded.
As of the time of this report, the actual casualty figure
could not be ascertained but an eyewitness said he
counted no fewer than 15 bodies at the scene of the
first explosion at a restaurant opposite the Bauchi Road
campus of the University of Jos.
The explosion went off at about 9.15 pm.
The second explosion was also said to have occurred
about 15 minutes later at a mosque near Yan Tyre (tyre
market) area of Dilimi junction, along same Bauchi
Road.
The leader of the Izalla sect, Sheikh Yahaya Jingir,
normally performs the Tafsir (breaking of fast) at the
mosque hence it always attract large number of
Muslims.
“We have counted 15 bodies that died instantly from
the first blast; we are now moving to the scene of the
second one at the mosque. But the soldiers are asking
us to go back because the casualty figure is high,” an
eyewitness told one of our correspondents in Jos
Sunday night.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Plateau State,
Emmanuel Abuh, who confirmed the twin blasts, said
that men of the anti-bomb squad had been dispatched
to the area. He said that the exact casualty figure and
the extent of damage could not be ascertained until the
men are able to clear the area.
“It is too early to give any figure. We have dispatched
our men there and we are expecting feedback from
them,” he told The PUNCH.
Also in Zamfara State, gunmen reportedly killed at least
30 people in the Birnin-Magaji Local Government Area,
the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
Chairman of the council, Muhammad Gusami, said on
Sunday that the attacks took place in Kokeya and
Chigama villages in the area.
Gusami said the gunmen invaded Kokeya village with
motorcycles and killed two persons, set some houses
ablaze and carted away animals mostly cows.
“The gunmen killed more than 30 persons whose bodies
were still being recovered from the bush,’’ he said.
Ibrahim Sani, a witness, said that the gunmen who
invaded Kokeya came while the villagers were closing
from their prayers.
“The attackers shot sporadically in the air which
prompted the people of Chigama to intervene.
“That may have provoked the gunmen to come back so
as to punish Chigama people for trying to prevent the
attack the previous day.
“While three persons were killed from Kokeya and
Chigama on the first day in Kokeya, more than 50 were
killed on the second day in Chigama while several
houses were burnt,” Sani said.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Sanusi Amiru, who
confirmed the attack, said that the police and army had
moved to the area and normalcy had been restored.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday said members
had declared war on all that Nigerians value.
He spoke in reaction to the attack on the RCCG church
and his reaction was contained in a statement by his
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi
Adesina.
The President said he received the news of the latest
attack with sadness.
The statement read in part, “The President wholly
condemns the resumption of attacks by terrorists on
places of worship, which are highly revered places of
prayer and communion with God for most Nigerians.
“Nigerians are a very religious people and President
Buhari believes that the terrorists who wantonly attack
our places of worship have wilfully declared war on all
that we value, and must therefore be confronted with
all our might and collective resolve.
“The President reaffirms his administration’s total
commitment to doing everything possible to eradicate
Boko Haram, terrorism and mindless extremism from
Nigeria in the shortest possible time.
“President Buhari assures all Nigerians that terrorism
will ultimately be defeated and full security restored to
all parts of the country for people to safely practise
their respective faiths with liberty wherever they may
reside in the nation.
“The Constitution gives all Nigerians that right and the
present administration will deploy all required force and
resources to protect citizens’ right to freedom of
worship.”