Three die as suicide bombers attack church in Jos

Two male suicide bombers dresed in army uniform on Sunday morning attacked the headquarters of Church of Christ in Nigeria in Jos, Plateau State. The suicide bombers drove in a new Volkswagen Bora car to the gate of the church and were allowed into the premises by soldiers guarding the premises.

This was a strange action because the wave of bomb attacks on churches in parts of the North had forced many of them to stop cars from being parked close to their buildings.

After the suicide bombers had gained access to the premises, according to witnesses, they detonated their bombs.

One of the bombers died immediately while the other was badly injured. The survivor reportedly tried to flee the scene but was reportedly clubbed to death by unknown persons.

A 10-year-old girl who was entering the premises when the bombs exploded was killed while a number of worshippers were injured.

Soldiers started shooting immediately after the bombs exploded while security agents were swiftly deployed in the area.
Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, many state officials and indigenes of the state worship at the church.
The governor was not in the church when the explosions took place around 7.30am when the first service was on.
But the church, which is undergoing renovation, was damaged.
The situation forced many churches to shorten their services in Minna, the Niger State capital, on the advice of the state police command.
The spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, Yushau Shuaibu, confirmed the development in an SMS.
He said, “NEMA confirms three dead in a suspected suicide car explosion in Jos today at a worship centre, including the suspected bomber whose body was shredded to pieces. As at now, 38 victims are on admission in the hospital. NEMA and Red Cross have completed evacuation.”
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