A car bombing in Nigeria’s Kaduna city has at least 38 dead, and more injured, according to Abubakar Zakari Adamu, spokesman for the Kaduna state Emergency Management. Adamu stated that many who suffered serious injuries are being treated at local hospitals.
The bombing, which shook the city early Easter Sunday morning, happened near two churches, and authorities suspect that one of the churches, All Nations Christian Assembly Church, was the target. Witnesses stated that the car attempted to enter the church compound before it detonated.
The blast injured many church-goers and damaged the building, where an Easter service was being held. Pastor Joshua Raji described the incident by saying:
“We were in the holy communion service and I was exhorting my people and all of a sudden, we heard a loud noise that shattered all our windows and doors, destroyed our fans and some of our equipment in the church.”
The explosion was so powerful that it shattered windows of nearby hotels and businesses. Another witness, Augustine Vincent, was riding his motorcycle behind the car when it suddenly exploded. He stated that, “God saw our heart and saved us.”
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, authorities are already blaming Boko Haram. The group, whose name means, “Western education is sacrilege” in Hausa, the language of Nigeria’s north. Boko Haram has been a huge source of violence against both the public and security agencies. In all, more than 380 people have already been killed in incidents blamed on the group this year.
Boko Haram has attacked both Christians and Muslims, as well as the United Nations’ headquarters in Nigeria. They have employed both suicide bombers and assault-rifle shootouts.
Today’s car bombing in Nigeria left bits of motorcycles, cars, and glass strewn across one of Kaduma’s major access roads.
The following is coverage of a United Nations bombing in Nigeria, also claimed by Boko Haram:
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