At least ten worshippers were killed this afternoon as two car bombs exploded at the Military Protestant church inside the Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Jaji, near Kaduna. An unspecified number of worshippers were injured.
The director of army public relations, Brigadier General Bola Koleosho, confirmed the attacks to SaharaReporters. He also disclosed that the deadly explosions happened around 12: 30 p.m. Nigerian time.
The two cars rigged with explosives rammed into the church within seconds of each other, said one eyewitness source. Two of our sources said they expected the death toll to rise.
SaharaReporters could not confirm whether the casualties and wounded were all military personnel. However, one source who worships at the devastated church told our correspondent that many military personnel of the Protestant faith worship at the targeted church. The source said he was not certain whether any senior military officer was in the church at the time of today’s attacks.
The army spokesperson said he could not confirm the number of casualty as he was attending the Chief of Army Staff conference in Asaba, Delta State.
A security official in Kaduna State told SaharaReporters that no group had yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but he stated that the explosions were likely planned and executed by Boko Haram, an extremist Islamist group opposed to Western education and values.
Our source disclosed that various security agencies would be involved in investigating how any terrorist group was able to infiltrate Nigeria’s major military facility.
More detail soon....
Source: Sahara Reporters
UPDATE: 11 People Dead, 30 Injured
A military spokesperson confirmed the casualty to the BBC.
The suicide bomb attack on a church inside a Jaji military compound in Kaduna State killed 11 people, a military spokesperson, quoted by the BBC, said.
At least 30 others were injured in the blast that occurred, Sunday afternoon within the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, the unnamed official said.
The College is a major training school for the Nigerian military.
Two explosions rocked the facility in a daring attack that appeared aimed at embarrassing the military which has recently claimed victory against insurgent group, Boko Haram.
No group has however claimed responsibility for the Sunday attacks, although security officials suspect they may have been carried out by the Islamist group.
The attack comes about 48 hours after security forces declared the leadership of the Boko Haram wanted and placed a bounty on them.
The military spokesman said two vehicles were driven into the barracks in what he described as “surprising and an embarrassment”, the BBC said.
One of the vehicles, a bus, entered the barracks and was driven into the wall of the church where it exploded. Ten minutes later, a car blew up outside the church.
“The first blast caused no casualties and curious worshippers gathered around the scene looking at the debris… and that was when the second blast happened,” the military official was quoted as saying.
Earlier reports of the incident suggested at least five persons died.
A witness said the second vehicle was a KIA car which drove into the church premises and waved at a choir group before detonating the bomb.
Most members of the church congregation had left the church at the time of the attack , the witness, quoted by Reuters said.
“What really amazed us is that the usual security detail at the gate of the church was not deployed today. The security of the church was left at the mercy of the Church’s Boys Brigade,” he said.
Witnesses reported seeing bodies at the scene, and people being carried away on stretchers.
“I saw five bodies and scores injured and the entire cantonment has been sealed off,” a witness said.
The Public Relations Officer of Infantry Corpse Command, Major Adeniyi, confirmed the explosions.
He however could not confirm the casualty figure.
Source: Premium Times
The suicide bomb attack on a church inside a Jaji military compound in Kaduna State killed 11 people, a military spokesperson, quoted by the BBC, said.
At least 30 others were injured in the blast that occurred, Sunday afternoon within the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, the unnamed official said.
The College is a major training school for the Nigerian military.
Two explosions rocked the facility in a daring attack that appeared aimed at embarrassing the military which has recently claimed victory against insurgent group, Boko Haram.
No group has however claimed responsibility for the Sunday attacks, although security officials suspect they may have been carried out by the Islamist group.
The attack comes about 48 hours after security forces declared the leadership of the Boko Haram wanted and placed a bounty on them.
The military spokesman said two vehicles were driven into the barracks in what he described as “surprising and an embarrassment”, the BBC said.
One of the vehicles, a bus, entered the barracks and was driven into the wall of the church where it exploded. Ten minutes later, a car blew up outside the church.
“The first blast caused no casualties and curious worshippers gathered around the scene looking at the debris… and that was when the second blast happened,” the military official was quoted as saying.
Earlier reports of the incident suggested at least five persons died.
A witness said the second vehicle was a KIA car which drove into the church premises and waved at a choir group before detonating the bomb.
Most members of the church congregation had left the church at the time of the attack , the witness, quoted by Reuters said.
“What really amazed us is that the usual security detail at the gate of the church was not deployed today. The security of the church was left at the mercy of the Church’s Boys Brigade,” he said.
Witnesses reported seeing bodies at the scene, and people being carried away on stretchers.
“I saw five bodies and scores injured and the entire cantonment has been sealed off,” a witness said.
The Public Relations Officer of Infantry Corpse Command, Major Adeniyi, confirmed the explosions.
He however could not confirm the casualty figure.
Source: Premium Times
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