21 dead after attacks on Nigerian churches

Updated June 18, 2012 06:01:55
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Map: Nigeria

Multiple church bombings in Nigeria and subsequent rioting by Christian youths targeting Muslims have killed at least 21 people, officials and residents said.

Bomb blasts struck three churches in the northern Kaduna state, the latest in a string of Sunday attacks that has threatened to ignite wider sectarian strife across the religiously-divided country.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bloodshed but the attacks were likely to be blamed on Boko Haram, an extremist group bent on creating an Islamic state and responsible for scores of recent attacks.

Two churches were attacked in the city of Zaria and one in Kaduna City, killing at least 16 people, according to a police statement. Explosions were also reported in Nassarawa and Barnawa.

After news of the blasts spread, Christian youths took to the streets of the main motorway that connects Kaduna City to Nigeria's capital Abuja, attacking motorists who looked Muslim.

An AFP reporter said he saw the bodies of 10 people killed by the rioters being taken to the morgue.

Kaduna state authorities immediately imposed a 24-hour curfew.

The blasts happened in the Wusasa and Sabongari districts of Zaria at the Christ the King Catholic Cathedral and ECWA GoodNews Church, residents and NEMA said.

"A total of 16 persons have so far been confirmed as a result of the explosions within the three churches," police said in a statement.

Several residents in Sabongari said the Catholic church was badly damaged by the blast.

"I went close to the church but could not access it due to heavy police and military security deployed around it," resident Mahmud Hamza told AFP.

"From where I stood I could see a badly destroyed church still burning from the explosion. It is obvious there were deaths from the scale of the damage and the fire."

Another resident spoke of bodies being taken out.

Residents of Wusasa district spoke of many injuries but could not confirm any deaths at the ECWA GoodNews Church.

"Many people in the church were injured but I have not seen any dead bodies," a woman who was in the church in Wusasa at the time of the explosion said by telephone from her hospital bed.

NEMA officials said the third attack hit the Sharon Church in Kaduna city and that there were two other bombings in the Christian-dominated towns in the south of the state.

The bomb blasts triggered violent protesting by Christian youth mobs, who barricaded roads in the towns of Trijania, Gonin Gora and Sabon Tasha, attacking motorists who looked Muslim.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, the latest in Africa's most populous nation and largest oil producer, by the church blasts resembled those previously claimed by Boko Haram.

Nothing to say about the muslims slaughtering the christians in Nigeria spot of bullshit?

yup. Thats what i did. To balance things a bit

Of course you leave out the part of my post where i said it was an xtian bashing thread. Xtians are haters.

SOB

Quantum wrote on Jun 18^th, 2012 at 8:37pm:


lolololol hahahahhaha

Anyway are you saying xtians arent haters? They hate gays and abortions and blacks and condoms and unwed mothers and ppl of other religions and lately especially muslims because they are so similar.

Theres lots more.

SOB

You are wrong. The term was coined by xtians themselves

http://www.xtians.org/

http://www.dictionaryslang.com/xtian

SOB

Quote:


Not that i care. Are you offended? Too bad. I dont like religious nuts. Especially the ones that get "offended" by words and by ppl not believing their crap and by ppl just mentioning the point that they are religious. I dont like the religious ppl that think they can dictate things to non-believers and ppl of OTHER RELIGIONS because they reckon their god is the right one.

All religions are just as dangerous as each other. As groups. I have met muslims and xtians and even budhists and krishnas that i am fine with who are totally brainwashed by their religion but they actually have empathy and compassion and try to follow the rules of their religion. They are few and far between though. As a group the religions are fascist entities.

However this thread is about xtian violence of which there is plenty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_and_violence

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_terrorism

SOB