Nigeria’s radical Islamist sect, Boko Haram, has claimed responsibility for the deadly suicide bomb attack on a church in Jos, the Plateau state capital, warning that more attacks were on the way.
According to reports, a lone suicide bomber, driving a black car packed with explosives, had attempted forced entry past the gates of the Church of Christ in Nigeria premises 30 minutes into the morning service on Sunday, detonating the device only a few yards from the popular church.
The deadly attack had killed three people, including a toddler, residents reported. Nigerian emergency services put the number of injured persons at 38, while church officials said 50 were injured in the attacks.
Speaking to reporters in a conference call, spokesman for the sect, operating under the name Abu Qaqa, had said: “We carried out the attack on COCIN church in Jos today and we did what we did as part of our resolve to avenge the killings and dehumanisation of Muslims in Jos in the last 10 years.”
The spokesman had offered no specific reasons behind the attack, but promised “we have just started”.
An eye witness had described the attacker as a young man and another, providing yet more details of the attack, said the suicide bomber had driven at top speed, attempting to force his way on to the Church premises.
Governor Jonah Jang had called on residents to “calm down” and avoid taking the law into their own hands. He assured that security forces were taking every measure to bring those behind the bombing to justice.
Jos, the site of several ethnic clashes, has suffered several attacks attributed to the radical sect. Though security forces have been deployed to the area in the past, the fight against terrorism still remains a daunting task for the terrorised region.
Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the attacks and vowed that Africa’s most populous nation will remain united.
“Those who seek to divide us by fear and terror will not succeed. The indiscriminate bombing of Christians and Muslims is a threat to all peace-loving Nigerians,” he said in a statement.
The radical sect has claimed responsibility for similar attacks in the recent months, including the Christmas Day bombings of 2011 that targeted three churches in separate Nigerian northern states, including Jos.
At least 50 lives were claimed in those attacks and the sect has continued the onslaught ever since, targeting security operatives and police posts in the troubled northern region.
