Suicide bombers have attacked Christians in Nigeria during Sunday worship for the third week running, with the death toll this time rising to more than 50.
In what is becoming an all too familiar pattern of extremist attacks, a suicide bomber rammed a car into a barricade outside the Evangelical Church Winning All church in Kaduna city on Sunday. At least 24 people were killed and 125 were wounded.
Within a few minutes, explosives were detonated at Christ the King Church in Zaria, also in Kaduna state, killing at least 16 and injuring dozens more, some of them critically. Many of the wounded in this second attack were children. Then a Pentecostal congregation called Shalom Church in Kaduna city was bombed, killing at least ten, according to the Red Cross.
The BBC reports that Islamist extremists Boko Haram have claimed responsibility for the three attacks – as they did for attacks in Plateau and Borno states on June 10 and in Bauchi state on June 3 (Prayer Alert, June 6 and 12).
Riots in Kaduna sparked by Sunday's bombings killed at least 52 people, according to Reuters news agency. Kaduna state government imposed a 24-hour curfew on Sunday to restore order.
(Sources: AP, BBC, Compass Direct, Reuters)
For more news and a country profile about Nigeria, click here• Pray for an end to extremist violence which has claimed more than 500 lives in Nigeria this year already. Pray too that those who live in affected areas will not seek reprisals, and that God would bless the efforts of those who are working to build bridges between Christian and Muslim communities.
• Pray for all those grieving or injured after this spate of bombings. Pray that they will draw near to God and draw on His strength to face the future with hope.
• Ask God to protect our partners in Nigeria who are supporting the victims of the violence.
In what is becoming an all too familiar pattern of extremist attacks, a suicide bomber rammed a car into a barricade outside the Evangelical Church Winning All church in Kaduna city on Sunday. At least 24 people were killed and 125 were wounded.
Within a few minutes, explosives were detonated at Christ the King Church in Zaria, also in Kaduna state, killing at least 16 and injuring dozens more, some of them critically. Many of the wounded in this second attack were children. Then a Pentecostal congregation called Shalom Church in Kaduna city was bombed, killing at least ten, according to the Red Cross.
The BBC reports that Islamist extremists Boko Haram have claimed responsibility for the three attacks – as they did for attacks in Plateau and Borno states on June 10 and in Bauchi state on June 3 (Prayer Alert, June 6 and 12).
Riots in Kaduna sparked by Sunday's bombings killed at least 52 people, according to Reuters news agency. Kaduna state government imposed a 24-hour curfew on Sunday to restore order.
(Sources: AP, BBC, Compass Direct, Reuters)
For more news and a country profile about Nigeria, click here• Pray for an end to extremist violence which has claimed more than 500 lives in Nigeria this year already. Pray too that those who live in affected areas will not seek reprisals, and that God would bless the efforts of those who are working to build bridges between Christian and Muslim communities.
• Pray for all those grieving or injured after this spate of bombings. Pray that they will draw near to God and draw on His strength to face the future with hope.
• Ask God to protect our partners in Nigeria who are supporting the victims of the violence.
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