Bauchi suicide attack killed 21 dead, injured 45 – CAN

On June 5, 2012 · In News

By Suzan Edeh

BAUCHI— Following Sunday’s suicide bomb attack at the Living Faith and the Harvest Field Churches in Yelwa area of Bauchi State, the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has confirmed that 21 people were killed, while 45 others sustained injuries during the bomb attack.
The state Chairman of CAN, Rev. Lawi Pokti, who spoke at a news conference on the issue yesterday at the COCCIN headquarters in Bauchi, also accused the Nigerian Army of extra-judicial killings of unarmed and aggrieved relations of the victims, describing the action as evil and satanic.
Pokti also said illegal executions were carried out by devilish terrorists who parade themselves under the canopy of a religious group.
He said: “As at press time, 21 people have been confirmed dead, out of which 12 died as a result of the bomb blast while eight were shot dead by the military who went to the blast site to maintain law and order. A total number of 45 persons have been confirmed wounded out of which 25 were wounded by bomb blast and 20 sustained various degrees of injuries from gun shots from the military.”
He said as much as the Christian community appreciates the efforts of the state government in responding to the bomb incident by taking the wounded persons to the teaching hospital for emergency help, it utterly condemned the extra-judicial killings of innocent civilians, mostly women and children.
He said: “We declare that the security has no moral, ethical and empirical justification to open fire on the women, youths and children who came out to mourn their loved ones. We see this act as extra-judicial killing and worthy of remorse by the Nigerian Army.”

SOURCE: Vanguard Newspaper, 5 June 2012. http://www.vanguardngr.com