Kaduna Church Bombing: Officials Confirm Numerous Casualties

By SaharaReporters, New York

There are conflicting reports about the number of casualties from today's suicide bomb attack on worshipers at St. Rita's Catholic Church in Ungwan Yero, Kaduna, capital of Kaduna State. The bombed church is within the Malali area of Kaduna, an administrative hub of  Northern Nigeria.

 An official of the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) confirmed that at least 8 people were dead. NEMA's figure contradicted initial claims by the Kaduna State Police that only the suicide bomber died in the suicide bomb attack. Several survivors who witnessed the bombing also told our correspondent that they saw several dead worshipers after the attack. They also told SaharaReporters that some furious worshipers pursued and killed a few bystanders following the suicide bombing attack.

A security source in Kaduna confirmed that some other people were attacked and killed immediately after the terror attack. The sources said security agents in the city were trying to manage the tense situation in order to avert escalation of reprisal attacks.

SaharaReporters spoke to Reverend Father Anthony Zaka, the deputy communications director of the media center at the Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna about today's attack. According to Father Zaka, the bomber must have done enough reconnaisance at the church to determine how to cause maximum carnage. He disclosed that the attacker rammed his car through the wall and inside the church before the explosion. He stated that five worshipers died on the spot and that four of the seriously wounded parishioners died at the hospital within the last one hour. He expressed fear that the casualty figures would rise in the coming hours and days.

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Father Zaka also disclosed that the officiating priest as well as hundreds of other worshipers sustained serious to critical injuries in the attack.

A survivor who identified himself as Peter John told SaharaReporters over the phone that he counted about 15 casualties. “I don't really know what to say. My hands are trembling and my fingers are refusing to flex," said Mr. John. He added, "But slow and steady I will send the message across.Why, why, why? If somebody had told me that I will one day experience what happened today I will swear by everything that it's impossible. This is the height of inhumanity to man. Innocent worshipers blasted by a suicide bomber. The casualties I counted are way above 15. The entire choir was affected and that group was most affected.”

No group has claimed responsibility for today's attack, but the security source in Kaduna said the nature of the carnage suggested it was carried out by Boko Haram, a violent Islamist group that opposes Western influences in Nigeria.