Ogi John, AfricaNews Reporter in Lagos, Nigeria
Military authorities have confirmed 11 people dead and 60 injured in two suicide bomb attacks on St. Andrews Military Protestant Church inside the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State.
In what has sent shock waves across Nigeria, the suicide bombers successfully infiltrated the heavily guarded cantonment, which is a major training institution for the armed forces, and detonated their Improvised Explosive Devices.
The first bomber reportedly infiltrated the church as service was ending and detonated his IED, killing himself and five others.
Just as people rushed to the scene of the blast, a second suicide bomber drove his car to the entrance of the church and detonated another set of IEDs, killing five more people.
Army spokesman, Bolaji Koleosho, confirmed the incident.
Spokesman for the National Emergency Agency, Yushau Shuaib, confirmed there had been an explosion inside the barracks.
The injured were rushed to the 44 Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna and Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria.
Soldiers have reportedly cordoned off the scene of the blast
A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, posted on his Facebook wall around 4p.m that an officer friend of his informed him about the attacks.
According to Fani-Kayode, the officer, who did not want to be identified, wrote, “I am in the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji on a middle cadre officer staff course.
“Twin suicide bomb blasts just happened in our church (St Andrew Military Protestant Church). Mailing from the scene. The casualty figure is really high.
“Church just closed when it happened. So sad, the first bomber detonated his explosive inside the church and after the initial confusion was just settling and folks had started gathering to think of helping out, the second bomber exploded his car right in the midst of intending first aiders and the survivors of the first that were rushing out.”
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the blast, it comes two days after the Joint Task Force on Operation Restore Order in Borno State declared the leader of the Boko Haram sect, Ibrahim Shekau, and 19 other top guns of the group wanted
Last February, there was a blast at the gate of the One Mechanised Division in Kaduna, which killed the suicide bomber and some others.
Kaduna State has been the target of several bomb attacks this year, including on churches.
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