Abuja, Jan 1 (IANS) A suicide bomber who targeted a church in the northeastern Nigerian state of Gombe during a New Year mass was killed by his own bomb, police said.
The suicide bomber rode on a motorcycle and tried to enter a branch of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) in Tudun Wada area Wednesday but was denied entry by a heavy security presence, Gombe state police chief Fawaje Atajiri said while confirming the attack to Xinhua in the state capital.
“He came with a motorcycle and tried to enter the place but as a result of the security measures put in place, he was blocked and the bomb exploded instantly and he was killed,” the police chief said.
An eyewitness named Aminu Waja said an unspecified number of people sustained various degrees of injuries. The injured were quickly taken to health facilities in the area.
He said one of the injured people was wheeled into the operation theatre at one of the facilities, for a surgery.
The Boko Haram, known for carrying out such attacks, was blamed for the incident.