Suicide bomber hits another Kaduna church

By Ben Agande, Luka Binniyat, Emma Ovuakporie & Laide Akinboade
KADUNA— It was another black Sunday, yesterday, as eight persons were killed and 145 others injured after a suicide bomber, driving a black Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) rammed through the fence of St Rita’s Catholic Church, Bardarwa, in the northern part of Kaduna metropolis, setting off an explosion.

Meanwhile, Christian youths in Sabo, Television Village, Maraban Rido surbubs of Kaduna  immediately mobilised to take on Muslims, but Christian elders and local community leaders went from street to street pleading for restraint, as the Police and the military later arrived to keep them off the streets.

BOMBED—Scene and victims of the suicide bomb attack on St. Rita’s Catholic Church, Kaduna, yesterday.

Also, Muslim youths in their strong holds, of Tudun Wada, Rigassa and Kawo were said to have armed themselves in readiness for any possible reprisals from Christians.

An Air Force Helicopter hovered low over the city, ostensibly to monitor the situation, while fear of possible curfew gripped residents.

Bomber deserves our pity — Kaduna Catholic Archbishop

The Catholic Arch-Bishop of Kaduna, Mathew Man’Oso Ndagoso, who spoke to newsmen at St. Gerard Catholic Hospital, Kakuri, Kaduna, where 14 injured worshippers were being treated for various wounds, said the bomber deserved pity and mercy since he was only testing the credibility of the Faith of Christians.

Said Ndagoso: “What happened was unfortunate, being the second time that the Catholic Church, and the third time churches were bombed in Kaduna State. Once again, as Christians and as Catholics, we are challenged to deliver our own faith to witness. I think we are even called to witness our faith as more credible and to bear the message of the Bible to those who hate us. We must by this incident, strengthen our faith, because in difficult times like these, it is easy for some people to start thinking about the non-existence of God. Because they will wonder why God should allow things to happen this way. But that should not be it all.

“I have not been able to go to the church scene, because the security agencies said that it is not yet safe for me to go there. But I have spoken to those who were in the Church. I have spoken to the Reverend Father conducting the mass. From what I heard, I thank God, because it could have been worse.

Children are major victims

“I have gone to virtually all the hospitals that the injured were taken to for treatment. And the saddest thing, I must say here, is that children are the major victims. The impact of the explosion happened where the children were seated. That is why a lot of the injured were children.  In the five hospitals we have visited so far, most of the victims were children. Therefore, you begin to wonder if a human being in his full senses could do such a thing. Honestly, as a person, I believe that the person who could carry out such wickedness, deserves our pity and mercy. He has only tested the integrity of our Faith; these kind of people are not in their senses. How could a human being, who claims to be working for any kind of god, go to a place where people are worshiping God with a bomb and do this kind of thing? I know we are in difficult times, but my advice to all Christians and my fellow Catholics in Kaduna State is that difficult situations do not make us less Christians. In the same vein, difficult situations do not make us less human. No matter how difficult the situation is, my appeal to Catholic youths and all our Christian brethren is ‘never, never retaliate’. Two wrongs can never, and will never make a right. We know that there are few individuals who want to plunge this country into difficult situation. And they would stop at nothing. So, my appeal to the majority of Nigerians who believe in the unity and preservation of this country is that we must come together and never give these people the chance because good will always override evil. This is our belief as Christians. God has not abandoned us. We must find salvation through the way of the Cross.

“I have gone round Barrau Dikko, and I was shown two dead bodies. I was with the Chairman of the Church Council and he told me that only these two bodies are in the mortuary.  One died on the way to the hospital, and the other at the hospital. I was told that there were two dead bodies still in the church. That was about two hours ago when I spoke to my officials. I was told that the two bodies were left so that the injured could be evacuated quicker. So I have confirmed two deaths, and reliably informed that two worshipers’ bodies are still in the church. But the injured, they are all over the hospitals I visited.

“I cannot confirm to you the number of injured, but they are many. Yes, many. I have been at Barau Dikko Hospital, 44 Army Referral Hospital, Garkuwa Hospital and Multi-Clinic and now I am at St Gerard’s.  Except at Multi-Clinic, where Rev. Fada Sunny Bonni is the only victim, all the others had many injured ones. Just that I did not count the numbers.

“The priest was celebrating mass when it happened. I have spoken to him and he told me that the bombing took place at the kiss-of-love (Catholic high point of the Eucharist). Contrary to rumours, Fada Bonni is alive and I have seen him and spoken to him. He is from Bassa in Adamawa State, and I have been getting so many calls from there with his people asking if he is okay”

Victims recount ordeal

At St. Gerard’s Catholic Hospital, where the PRO of the Hospital Mr. Sunday Ali confirmed that 14 injured persons, mostly children were being treated, one of the injured recounted her experience.

Rita Ejiro (Mrs), 30 from Benue State who was injured with her four children said:  “I closed my eyes, opened it to just see a jeep crashing through the church”

She spoke to Vanguard on her hospital bed, with some of the wounded children beside her.

“The Mass starts by 7am. By 9,am we were having the Holy Communion  prayers.  I closed my eyes. As I opened it, I heard some noise and I saw a Jeep crashing into the church. Then there was an explosion. Glasses entered my body and I didn’t even know it then, because I was concerned for my four children. I was holding one of my children’s hand. I found two, but could not find the other, because of the confusion.  Later we found him. He had more injuries. His condition is more critical than mine and his brothers. He is now at the Children ward now. The explosion was much, because it brought down part of the church. The body of the bomber, I am told, is now hanging on the wall of the Church. Our Reverend Father is alive, and I even saw him drive himself outside the church. Unlike some other Sundays where you saw at least two Policemen with guns and some Civil Defence people outside the Church, this time I did not see any when I came to mass. Our Cadet boys who usually help, most of them went to camp. So the place was like that when I came. I don’t know if Police later came when I was inside the Church.”

I saw women, children screaming for help—Markus Ishaya (25) from Kaduna State:

“The priest was saying the Communion prayers, and was almost done. Then there was something like a loud roar. Then something hit the wall of the church and entered. I heard an explosion, then another. Everybody started running. There was  blood over my body when I came out. It was when I came out that I discovered I had fractured this arm. And there were  pieces of glass in my body. I saw many injured people. Children, women screaming for help. I saw more seriously injured people taken away in Road Safety vehicles. But I don’t know if anyone lost his life. I was also brought here not too long ago. When I came to church, I only saw two of our cadets with metal detectors. I did not see any soldier or police, unlike other days. If they came later, I don’t know.

I heard an explosion, I didn’t know what happened later —Jacinta Oko (24) from Imo State, had shrapnel wounds  over her body

“I came to Church as usual. I was concentrating on the blessing of the Holy Communion when I saw a black car force its way into the Church.  As I made to run, like the rest, I heard an explosion. I don’t know what happened after. I just woke up here. I praise God for his mercy. There are many things that have penetrated my body. I have wounds all over me.