A bomb explosion at a Catholic Church in Malali, Kaduna State claimed 15 lives and injured 100 people yesterday.
But the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) put the casualty figure at eight.
The spokesperson of the agency Yushau Shuaib, said: “NEMA rescuers in collaboration with stakeholders have so far confirmed eight dead and over 100 people injured from the bomb explosion.”
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday condemned the suicide bomb attack, calling it “barbaric, cruel and uncalled for.”
The President who was “extremely saddened by the explosion,” noted that “the apparent objective of the criminal and unpatriotic elements and forces behind the attack is to set back the progress the Administration has made in the fight against terrorism in the country. It is obvious that these people do not mean well for Nigeria and its unity and development.”
Jonathan, however, expressed confidence that the war against terrorism would become more unrelenting as the nation would never give in to the forces of terror and retardation.
He added that the persistence of messengers of evil would not prevail over the will of the government and the people to secure peace and safety.
According to him, “our efforts to deal with all acts of terror and violence would only be redoubled even as the security agencies continue to receive all the support they need from government to reverse this unfortunate and unacceptable trend that threatens the peace and stability of our nation.”
The President commiserated with the Catholic Church, families and friends of the victims of the bombing, assuring them that government’s resolve to deal with the threat of terrorism remained strong.
Also, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, condemned the attack.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Imam Imam, Tambuwal added that the attack on innocent worshippers and other bystanders was both callous and senseless.
He, however, urged Nigerians to do more to destroy the ability of the terrorists to unleash mayhem on innocent, peaceful and law-abiding citizens.
The Parish Priest of St. Rita’s Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Bonny Bazah whose state of health was uncertain was said to have been hit by the blast as he was about administering Holy Communion on the worshipers in the church.
Rev. Fr. Bazah was initially rushed to Garkuwa Hospital before he was later moved to another hospital for medical attention.
An eyewitness, Ishaku James, who drove Bazah’s vehicle to St. Gerald’s Catholic Hospital in search of the priest, said that “the suicide bomber came with a Honda CRV, broke the fence and entered into the church,” adding that “all the casualties were taken to Garkuwa hospital, Barau Dikko, 44 Military Reference Hospital and St. Gerald Catholic Hospital.
“They even told us that they brought our reverend father here at St. Gerald, that is why we are here. That is even his vehicle. Honestly, the people that are affected are many. Garkuwa and Barau Dikko hospitals are complaining that the number of people brought to the hospitals was too many for them to cope with. We don’t know actually where the reverend father is now; we have been looking for him in all the hospitals. We saw him, he was injured on his face.”
James said that “there are many people who died inside the church. Even the person who drove the CRV, the suicide bomber died”, adding that “he didn’t follow the gate, he broke the fence and forced the jeep into the church.
“The Rev. Fr. was blessing the Holy Communion when the bomb blast happened. I was inside the church. Many people died inside the church. The SUV entered behind the wall where the choir was singing and the children were in session.”
One of the victims who was receiving treatment along with her three children at St. Gerald’s, Mrs. Veronica Johnson, said that the blast took worshippers unawares, adding that it happened “when everybody was kneeling down. We were praying, then we heard something hit the wall and when we turned, I saw a car like jeep (SUV), broke the wall of the church and entered the premises.
“We saw some parts of the body of the driver of the SUV hanging on the wall where the explosion occurred. Many people were injured, some people died and while others lay on the ground. I have three children here; you can see them with me here in the hospital.”
Another victim, Miss Jessita Ogwu also narrated: “We were inside the church when we heard an explosion and before I knew what was happening I saw myself on the floor. I can say many people died because it mostly affected the choir people.”
According to her, “the Rev. Fr. preached on God’s possibilities. He was saying that if we have faith everything is possible. He gave the stories of Solomon and Bartimaeus, and that in everything we do, we should exercise faith. He was about giving Holy Communion when we heard the bang from the blast.”
The Youths Against Disaster Initiative (YADI) cautioned youths against reprisal attacks. The National Coordinator of YADI, Abubakar Jimoh, made the appeal yesterday after the bomb explosion at the Catholic Church in Malali.
He urged Nigerians to be wary of undesirable elements that could capitalise on the insecurity in the country to attack innocent citizens.
While condemning the suicide attackers and similar ethnic and religious violence in some parts of the country, YADI called on security agencies to ensure they provide adequate measures to protect lives and property of the citizens, especially at a period when many Nigerians would be travelling back to their places of work after the Sallah public holiday.
While noting that Nigerians from various religious and ethnic backgrounds have lived peacefully with one another for a long time, he urged that the citizens should continue to be their brothers’ keepers in the face of national challenges.
YADI also commended response agencies especially the NEMA, the military, the police, Red Cross and volunteers for their timely response to the scene of such disasters in the country.
Notwithstanding the YADI’s appeal, a crisis was only averted following an attempted reprisal attack by youths in Kaduna after the explosion.
Soldiers, armed policemen and other security operatives were quickly deployed in the area of the explosion, where the youths in the heavily dominated Muslim community in Kaduna metropolis had engaged in a reprisal attack over the bomb explosion.
Two commercial motorcyclists (okada) riders and a woman were victims of the reprisal attack in Malali as they were found dead on the road. The situation made the government to mobilise more armed security forces in the troubled area to ensure the maintenance of law and order.
Also, there was the deployment of police anti-riot vehicles and military combat vehicles on the roads in the southern part of the metropolis, especially in Sabo to nip in the bud any reprisal attacks from the youths in the area.
The Archbishop of Catholic Diocese in Kaduna, Bishop Matthew Man’oso Ndagoso who visited the various hospitals where the victims were admitted, urged youths in Kaduna not to engage themselves in any reprisal attack, saying that they should rather engage in more prayers to God for an end to the security challenges.
But he expressed surprise on why such bomb attack on St. Rita’s Church should come when the Muslims were still in the Sallah celebration.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Reuben Buhari who spoke on the state radio, advised the youths not to take laws into their hands following the bomb explosion, as government and security agencies were on top of the situation.
He told The Guardian: “We condemn the bomb explosion in the church in its totality, and if you heard what I have been saying, calling people on the radio, I have been on it since morning… just to ask people to stay calm and not to take the laws into their hands.
“And we are telling people that security forces are actually out there to safeguard the situation and they are trying to ensure the maintenance of peace and order…we totally condemn the incident, it is barbaric and inhuman.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Adenaike who visited St. Rita’s Catholic Church to assess the situation appealed for calm, while assuring that his men were on top of the situation.
In a statement, the Leader of the Civil Society Coalition in the North, Shehu Sani said that “the reported attack on the Catholic church in Unguwan Yero ward in Malali area of Kaduna stands condemned,” stressing, “it’s a dastardly, evil, ungodly, barbaric and unprovoked attack.
“It’s an attack on our freedom, peace and humanity. The attack is a savage and despicable onslaught against civil liberties and our constitutional rights to life and religion. We condemn it without reservation.”
According to him, “the northern parts of Nigeria have suffered from so much bloodshed and violence,” adding that “we live in an era of interval of bloodletting.
“We must not submit to violence or succumb to fear. Intolerance is eroding our civil liberties and insurgency is destroying our constitutional rights. No progress and development will come to a part of the country where there is no peace. The voices of freedom must speak out. Silence sustains violence. Our churches and mosques have now become a hostile arena for deranged and murderous psychopaths,” he said.
Sani said that “the government of Nigeria must wake up and live up to its duties and constitutional responsibilities. We must find a lasting solution to this carnage and arbitrariness.
“We call on all the people of Kaduna to remain peaceful. We condemn and reject any attempt at reprisal. Reprisal against innocents persons is as vicious and condemnable as the unprovoked attack.”
