Explosions in Kaduna State Capital claim 70 lives

A 24-hour curfew, imposed on the Kaduna State capital after separate explosions targeting a prominent Sufi Sheikh and a former military leader on 23 July left at least 70 people dead, has been lifted.

According to local reports, the first bomb exploded on Isa Kaita Road, when a man hiding behind a parked car threw an explosive device at the convoy of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, a known opponent of the terror group Boko Haram, as he returned home after delivering a Ramadan sermon to thousands of people. While Sheikh Bauchi escaped unhurt, at least 25 people died in the explosion, and many more were injured. This was the second attack on Sheikh Bauchi in the recent weeks; in June he escaped a bomb attack near his home in which one person died.

Hours later, a car bomb exploded near the Kawo Bus Stop as General Muhammadu Buhari, the former military head of state and a key member of the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), was returning from a funeral in Zaria. The bomb reportedly exploded as the car’s driver attempted to ram the general’s bullet proof vehicle. Although General Buhari’s car was damaged and three members of staff were injured, he escaped unhurt. According to official sources, an estimated 14 people died in the second blast; however, eyewitnesses informed Nigerian media that the number was closer to 50, with many injured.

In a statement, President Goodluck Jonathan denounced the targeting of prominent political and religious leaders by terrorists and enemies of the nation as “an odious attempt to inflame passions and exacerbate disquiet, fear, insecurity and sectional divisions in the country”. The Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero described the timing of the bombings as “a clear indication that those behind the act have no iota of fear of God, as they have none for the sanctity of human life.” The bombings were also condemned by the US government and by Nigeria’s main Islamic body Jama’atu Nasril Islam, which described them as “acts of terror”.

Although the group has yet to claim responsibility for the attacks, the bombings are being attributed Boko Haram. Sheikh Bauchi has been openly critical of Boko Haram, and in a video the sect’s leader Abubakar Shekau called General Buhari “an infidel” for taking part in democratic processes, adding that he and other named Muslim politicians were “in trouble”.

Mervyn Thomas, Chief Executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), said, “We extend our heartfelt condolences to those who lost loved ones in yesterday’s bombings. By targeting such significant religious and political leaders during the month of Ramadan, Boko Haram hoped to exacerbate national divisions and encourage an outbreak of sectarian violence. However, it must by now be clear to all that no one is safe from this malevolent sect, which constantly proclaims its religious credentials yet has no regard for the sanctity of human life. It is time for Nigerians of goodwill to put aside their differences and to make a concerted effort to overcome this existential threat to their nation.”

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.