Will the Islamophobia never end? Eid mubarak in Nigeria: “Suicide bomber hits north Nigeria Catholic church,” by Godwin Attah and Jon Gambrell for the Associated Press, October 28 (thanks to Izuchukwu):
KADUNA, Nigeria (AP) “” A suicide car bomber detonated his explosives Sunday at a Catholic church holding Mass in northern Nigeria, injuring a number of worshippers and killing several people, officials and witnesses said.
The attack happened in the Malali neighborhood of Kaduna, a city on the dividing line between Nigeria’s largely Christian south and Muslim north where religious rioting has killed hundreds in recent years. The car tried to force its way past the gate at St. Rita’s Catholic church just before it exploded, witnesses at the church said.
Yushua Shuaib, a spokesman for Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency, also said initial information suggested the attack was by a suicide bomber in a car. He said “a number of casualties” had been taken to local hospitals, but could not give a specific number. Saidu Adamu, a spokesman for Kaduna state government, said it appeared some people had been killed, but officials still were uncertain how many died….
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes as the Muslims in the nation are celebrating the Eid al-Adha holiday in Nigeria. In recent days, rumors have circulated that the radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram, which is responsible for hundreds of killings this year alone, might try to launch an attack during the holiday. The sect has demanded the release of all its captive members and has called for strict Shariah law to be implemented across the entire country. However, the group, which speaks to journalists in telephone conference calls at times of its choosing, could not be immediately reached for comment….