Atleast 30 persons were feared dead, yesterday
and several others seriously injured when a suicide bomber rammed into the Saint
Andrews Protestant Church, inside the Army Cantonment, Jaji, in Kaduna.
A military spokesman told the British
Broadcasting Corporation, BBC that two vehicles were driven into the barracks
in Jaji in what he described as “surprising and an embarrassment”.
The unprovoked attack, according to
witnesses, took place between 11:30am and midday when the first set of
worshippers were about to depart after the first service.
The attacker, it was learnt, had aimed at
killing most of the worshippers as they were coming out of the church.
Scores
of lucky worshippers and passersby were also severely wounded by the force of
the blast, which shocked many residents of the cantonment who are mostly middle
cadre military officers undergoing their compulsory command and staff training
programmes.
It was gathered that most of the critically
wounded were rushed to the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, while
others were taken to a nearby hospital with life support facilities. The bodies
of the victims were also taken to nearby mortuaries in the city.
A military source confirmed the blast and
the death of many persons but said it was too early to give the specific
casualty figure.
Sources said that the vehicles were driven into the
Jaji cantonment through the bush, thereby escaping all the military checkpoints
mounted at the entry and exit points into the cantonment.
Military sources disclosed that the suicide
bombers, who died in the blast, came through the Maraban-Jos axis, and thereby
escaped being detected at the Abuja-Minna-Kaduna axis.
The source said: “It is true that a suicide
bomber attempted to enter the St. Andrews Protestant Church inside the
Cantonment but he was stopped from gaining access to the main building. But he
detonated his bomb and killed himself and some other persons.
“The main building of the church is not
affected and a few people have died but we cannot give the exact number of
persons who have been killed”.
But the Director Army Public Relations,
Brig Gen Bola Koleoso who had earlier denied knowing the casualty figure later
sent a text message to say that 11 were killed, and 30 injured.
Brig Gen Koleoso who confirmed the incident
in a text message to Vanguard in Kaduna said: “There were twin suicide
bombings today (Sunday) at the St. Andrew Military Protestant Church,
Jaji Military Cantonment at 1205hrs and 1215hrs.
“A bus first ran into the church and
exploded about five minutes after service had commenced while a Toyota
Camry parked outside the church detonated ten minutes later.
Figures of casualties are not yet clear but
the injured are receiving treatment at military hospitals both in Jaji and
Kaduna. Investigation into the bombings has commenced and the area already
cordoned off.”
However after informing him that the
casualty figure was put at 50, he responded saying: “11 dead, 30 injured.
Do not be carried away by emotions please. The information you need have been
given”.
Newsmen, NEMA, SEMA denied
entry
Officials of the National Emergency
Management Agency (NEMA), Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and
the Red Cross told Vanguard on phone that the Army refused them entry to offer
assistance to the victims. Newsmen were also barred from getting to the bombed
church.
But several sources at the scene of
incident said that not less than 50 people were killed.
“I personally counted 50 dead bodies, about
20 were burnt beyond recognition. Some of the injured have severe cases”, said
a source, who lives near the church.
“I saw a truck load of bodies arrive 44
Army Referral Hospital Kaduna. I can’t be sure if they were dead or living.
Soldiers would not allow us take pictures or even go inside”, said a Photo
Journalist
Another source said: “The first car was
said to have exploded without any casualty and many people had gathered to see
the wreckage of the car when the second suicide bomber arrived as he detonated
the bomb. Many people were killed, I am not in a position to say how many
people are dead, but they are many, I saw many dead bodies. I think the people
that died may be in the region of 40 or 50. I cannot say precisely.
“This is sheer wickedness of the highest
order. How can any human being plan this kind of wickedness? We are now feeling
very insecure in the barracks. Our security system here has been very porous.
When people come and they stopped them from entering, they will call their
relations and the people they know and they will be allowed inside. This is a
very serious embarrassment to us” another source said.
Apparently angered by the temerity of the
bomber, the military authorities there are said to have immediately sealed off
the area and begun a serious security crackdown within the vicinity of the
cantonment with a view to apprehending the masterminds of the dastardly act.
“For now, we are studying the situation
very seriously and we hope to make progress in our search for the culprits,” a
senior security officer, who is familiar with the Kaduna incident, stated.
It will be recalled that attacks by suicide
bombers on places of worship in the northern parts of the country have become a
recurring decimal, sending shock waves to Christians in those places.
Only on October 28, 2012, suicide bombers
drove into a Catholic church in Kaduna and murdered seven worshippers in the
thick of their morning mass.
Last month, many Christians were killed in
a church in Bauchi and 50 others were injured in a suicide bomb attack which
took place during the early morning mass at the St. Johns Catholic Cathedral
Church Bauchi.