Suicide Bombing Hits Christian Pocket of Kano, Nigeria

Christian sources said an apparent suicide bombing in a Christian area of northern Nigeria’s city of Kano on May 18 killed about 20 people, more than the police tally of five.

The police death toll for the bombing at about 10 p.m. includes the bomber. Murtala Marti of the Evangelical Church Winning All in Kano said that about 20 people were killed in the attack in the Christian “foreign quarter” of the Muslim-majority city.

“The bomb attack occurred on Sunday night along Gold Coast Road in the Sabon Gari area here in Kano,” Marti said. “Twenty Christians were killed in the bomb blast, but police authorities are saying only five died.”

The Kano city Christian leader said that Christians were killed along the road and in nearby businesses, though originally the likely target of the attack were three area churches.

“Most often the plot is to get at churches, but when it becomes impossible for the terrorists to get there, they usually detonate their bombs anywhere Christians are gathered, either in churches or restaurants,” Marti said.

Eyewitnesses said that the lone bomber in the vehicle had sought directions to some of the churches from area Christians but detonated the bomb when the Christians became suspicious of his intentions. Area Christians blame Islamic extremist terrorist group Boko Haram for a suicide bombing that killed at least 24 people in Kano in July 2013 and 25 people in the city in March 2013, and one eyewitness assumed the assailant from the May 18 bombing belonged to the group.

“The Boko Haram suicide bomber, on sensing that these Christians were suspicious about his inquiries on the churches, detonated the bomb along the road at No. 1 Middle Road, close to three churches,” said the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

The explosion occurred at the junction of Middle and Gold Coast roads.

Police confirmed that among those killed was a 12-year-old girl. Aderenle Shinaba, Kano state police commissioner, told reporters that five people were killed and four injured. (MS)