BOKO HARAM MASSACRE: CLERGIES, 50 FEARED DEAD IN BOMB ATTACK

By Bisi Alande

Dozens of worshippers were allegedly killed after two suicide bombers blew themselves up in an Anglican Church in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, said witnesses.

“All the people in the church died including the pastor. Not a single one escaped,” said Muhtari Adamu, a trader near the scene.

“We counted 56 dead bodies outside the church,” added Ali Marte, a vigilante supporting the security forces in the fight against Boko Haram, which has carried out repeated attacks in the region.

Police confirmed that the church was hit by twin bombings, but gave a lower toll of about 50 dead, including the Senior Reverend and leaders. Following the explosions, the church collapsed and injured “many people praying”, said the police in a statement.

The bombers slipped into the church disguised as worshippers, said witnesses, adding that one of the attackers set off the first blast when he entered the church. The second bomber detonated his explosives soon after, when many had rushed to the scene to help the first victims.

“When rescuers and sympathisers gathered in front of the church, the second one went off, killing many of them,” said Marte.

The blasts occurred around 9:30AM in the western suburbs of Maiduguri, where worshippers had gathered, said the witnesses.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks but they bear the hallmarks of the Boko Haram Islamic extremist group. Maiduguri is the birthplace of Boko Haram and the extremists have tried to seize the city with armed assaults by hundreds of fighters and have made it the target for many bombings since they were driven from their base there after a military state of emergency.

Book Haram 

 Christians in North Eastern Nigeria have suffered the most devastating persecution in modern history. Nigeria has been declared as the most dangerous place in the world for Christians to live in. Many Christians, have been killed by the Boko Haram Islamic terrorist group.

In Borno State, almost all the churches in villages and towns, where Boko haram declared its Caliphate, have been destroyed.

“Within just the Anglican Church, 24 churches have been destroyed, only six, in Maiduguri town centre, are surviving,” said Chaplain of the Chapel of Grace, University of Maiduguri Venerable Dr Ifechukwu U. Ibeme.  In the entire Diocese, only an average of 451 people now attend Sunday Services in the entire region, a far cry from the thousands that used to go to Church on Sundays before the Boko Haram insurgency.

Scene of the blast

In the same vein, the Vicar General, Anglican Diocese of Maiduguri Ven. Ayo Oni said, “We are now hardened and toughened Christians. We have grown resilient. When we go out to the streets as we ought to, you hear people say, ‘oh its not more than a bullet!’ (To kill a Christian) and in any case if God says your time is not up, you are not going (to die)".

Rescuers and sympathizers on mission

The Venerable Professor Oni said, “It is just a determination to remain. We are here because of conviction to be here. I have been here (in Maiduguri) now over 30 years. I heard the call of God to come over here and i will not leave unless I hear God say ‘go’ and because I have not heard God say go, in spite of all the threats here and pressure from family members and friends, I remained undaunted.”

Scene of the blast

The Vicar general, who is also a professor at the University of Maiduguri, said that one of his most traumatising experiences in the Boko Haram was being called to the bedside of one of his church members – shot together with his daughter.

“By the time I got to the hospital, the man was dead, I watched helplessly as the daughter who was bleeding from the gunshot wound soon died. It was a horrible time,” Oni said. “Even now as we speak, I still have in holes in my house perforated by bullets and where a bullet came through the roof. We have stories of the shelling and bombs by Boko Haram".