Two suspected Boko Haram bombs were discovered at a church in the central Nigerian city of Jos yesterday, a week after about 40 people were killed by two suicide blasts in the Plateau state capital.
A guard put his life on the line to save hundreds of worshippers, after he picked up a bomb planted in the church and threw it away just as it was about to explode. The lucky ECWA church is located at Tudunwa, near the federal secretariat in Jos North local government area of the state.
The church was filled to the brim with worshippers at about 11 am when the guard from a private security firm spotted the bomb at the entrance, a witness told journalists. The security man, whose name was not given, quickly grabbed the explosive and as he flung it away from the congregation, the bomb went off instantly, causing a massive explosion. No one was killed from the explosion, although the guard sustained injuries in the leg and is currently being treated. But by his heroic action he averted what would have been high casualties in the church, a worshipper said.
The police anti-bomb squad, on arrival, discovered another explosive device planted at the church’s toilet. The police have confirmed that no one was killed in the explosion. Police spokesperson in Plateau State, Abuh Emmanuel, told newsmen that anti-bomb experts had been deployed to the scene.
This bomb plot exactly one week after a mosque and a restaurant were rocked by bomb explosions that left scores dead in Jos. An eyewitness who lives near the church said the noise from the explosion was ‘massive’ and that it came from the toilet area. The witness also stated that another bomb was detonated outside the church premises but that no life was lost.
The spokesman of the Special Task Force (STF), Capt. Ikedichi Iweha, who confirmed the bombing attempt on the church to NAN, however, gave a slightly conflicting account of the incident. He explained that the bomb hidden one in the toilet was defused and taken away by security agents, while the other was controlled before it exploded. “There is no casualty and the place has been cleaned up by our security men. Church service is still in session as I speak to you,’’ he said.
NAN reports that all routes around the area were cordoned off by security personnel.
