FEBRUARY 27, 2012 BY JOHN ALECHENU, IHUOMA CHIEDOZIE AND JUDE ONWUAMANAM
TWO suicide bombers, suspected to be members of the terrorist Islamic sect, Boko Haram, on Sunday morning attacked a church where Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang worships in Jos, killing two worshippers.The two bombers also died. Four others died in the angry protest by Jos youths that followed the incident. Thirty-eight other persons reportedly sustained injuries from the bombing.
The sect in a statement by its spokesman, Abu Qaqa, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack came even as the police claimed they defused two bombs planted at their barracks in Gombe.
Jang was said to have escaped the attack because he was not at the first service that started at 7.00am. The governor usually attends the second service, conducted in Hausa language, at 11.00am.
The attacked Church of Christ in Nigeria is an indigenous church attended by notable citizens of the state, including former governors Solomon Lar and Joshua Dariye.
The dead bombers were said to have rammed their vehicle, a Volkswagen Bora car, into the gates of the church and had attempted to drive all the way into the church auditorium.
Their car, however, got caught at a point amid motorcycles parked within the premises. Eyewitnesses said the car exploded immediately it got stuck, killing the bombers even as they tried to escape from the vehicle.
The killers’ car was said to have followed the patrol van of the Special Task Force onto the church and attempted forcing its way through as the van entered the premises.
Another account however said the bombers were dressed in army uniforms and that they were allowed into the church premises by a soldier at the gate who apparently mistook them for his colleagues.
When news reached the Jos youths that the bombers were dressed in army uniform, they took to the streets and threw stones at soldiers.
While security agents cordoned off the area where the church is located, the angry youths reportedly mounted a road block where they attacked and killed four other people.
President Goodluck Jonathan, in his reaction to the Jos incident on Sunday, said those seeking to divide the country through terrorism would not succeed.
The President who spoke through his spokesman, Reuben Abati, commiserated with the victims of the incident and assured them that security agents would go after the perpetrators.
The statement by Abati says, “It is with great sadness that President Goodluck Jonathan received the news of the suicide bombing, today, at the Headquarters of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) in Jos, Plateau state, and the mindless acts of reprisal that followed the incident.
“Mr. President conveys his sympathies and condolences to the victims of the odious acts.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.
“Mr. President will continue to stand firm to ensure the safety and security of all Nigerians while ensuring that the relevant institutions move against those who disregard the sanctity of life in the pursuit of sectarian ambitions.”
It adds, “Government is gradually and firmly bringing justice to those behind these attacks and exposing their identities and dismantling their terror infrastructure.
“President Jonathan appeals to all residents of Plateau State to remain calm and be law abiding.
“As we mourn with today’s victims, let it be known that efforts are being redoubled to win the war against terror.”
The National Association of Nigerian Students described the Jos bombing as “one blast too many.”
The students in a statement by National President of NANS say, “We want to categorically use this medium to declare these acts of bombing of innocent citizens as a cowardly act by the terrorist groups and their sponsors.
“It is so unfortunate that this group and their sponsors are hell bent on truncating our nascent democracy and the peaceful coexistence of our people.
“We hereby want to once again call on the Federal government to consider our repeated call for the convocation of a National stakeholder’s conference on National security in order to challenge the growing threat of terrorism against our country.
“The responsibility of our protection as Nigerians can no longer be left in the hands of the government alone as we hereby call on “Nigerians to be more vigilant and give necessary support to the security agencies.”
Meanwhile, the police in Bauchi State on Sunday said they averted a clash between two rival factions of the COCIN in Toro/Tilden Fulani area of the state.
The Bauchi State police commissioner, Ikechukwu Aduba, said in a statement that an improvised explosive device was recovered from a member of one of the feuding factions.
Aduba’s statement reads, “Our intelligence source indicates that there have been a lingering rivalry and acrimony between two factions of the COCIN church adherents within Toro/Tilden Fulani axis of Bauchi State, and this said rivalry came to a head today Sunday, February 26, 2012 at about 0805hrs, when one of the factions stormed COCIN church, Unguwan Ring, Tilden Fulani and demanded for documents belonging to the Church, and which said demand led to a row.
“Acting on information, a crack team of detectives from Bauchi State Police Command were quickly dispatched to the church and this timely intervention prevented the occurrence of some unwholesome violence in Bauchi State today, as the detectives rounded-up the rivalry factions cum suspects, and upon on-the-spot search conducted recovered an Improvised Explosive Device from one of the suspects, thus thwarting the evil machination of the culprits.
“Our bomb experts, having successfully disarmed the recovered IED, has further confirmed that it is a complete bomb, manually operated, and that this is the second time we are seeing this kind of IED as it is clearly similar to those used in the foiled Ganjuwa invasion; very potent and dangerous!
“So far eight suspects have been arrested in connection with this case and are currently helping the Police to tidy-up investigations after which they will be made to face the full wraths of the law.
SOURCE: The Punch, 27 February 2012. http://punchontheweb.com/
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