A suicide bomber blew himself up, yesterday, inside a church in Potiskum, Yobe State killing five worshippers in the latest series of attacks, a police officer and witness told AFP. The bomber entered the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, at 9:55 am located on the outskirts of the city and detonated his explosives. “Four worshippers died instantly while the fifth victim gave up shortly after she was taken to hospital,” a police officer involved in the evacuation told AFP.
People gather around the Redeemed Christian Church of God, after a bomb blast in Potiskum, Nigeria, Sunday, July 5, 2015. A woman suicide bomber blew up in the midst of a crowded evangelical Christian church service in northeast Nigeria on Sunday and killed at least five people, witnesses said. Photo: Adamu Adamu Damaturu, AP
“The victims included a woman and her two children, the pastor and another worshipper,” added the officer who spoke on condition of anonymity. An eye witness, Garba Manu, told AFP:
“The bomber arrived on a motorised rickshaw and as soon as he entered, a loud explosion ripped through the church which is under construction. I saw him walking in and he didn’t raise any suspicion.
The dismembered body of the bomber was also recovered.”
It will be recalled that Potiskum last suffered a twin suicide attack on June 15, in which 10 people were killed and several others injured. The insurgents have launched a series of attacks on mosques, villages and markets in neighbouring Borno State in the past few days, claiming more than 200 lives.
The use of improvised explosive devices and suicide bombings have increased since May 29 when President Muhammadu Buhari took office vowing to crush the rebellion. According to the AFP, at least 450 people have lost their lives since that date.
Support Buhari to end Boko Haram attacks, Jonathan urges Nigerians
Meanwhile, former President Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari in tackling the Boko Haram insurgents in the country. Jonathan, who lamented the continuous attacks of the terrorists in the country, noted that the death of any Nigerian at the hands of Boko Haram is a sad reminder that the war on terror is a task for all Nigerians not just the armed forces
“The death of any Nigerian at the hands of terrorists is a sad reminder that the war on terror is a task for all Nigerians not just the armed forces,” he posted on his Facebook account to his almost two million followers. He also urged Nigerians to continue to pray for peace in the country and support the government of Buhari in taming the acts of terror.
“I urge all Nigerians to continue to pray for peace in Nigeria and to support the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the government does its best to bring an end to these acts of terror and secure all Nigerians. May God bless Nigeria,” Jonathan added.
