Reign of Terror: Church, Mosque, University Come Under Attack on Sallah Day in Kano

In spite of the one ugly incident, Sunday, June 27, a day Muslims in Nigeria marked Eld-El-Fitr to celebrate the end of the 2014 Ramadan season would have ended up a very bloody day in Kano, but for the vigilance of security personnel in the state.

It thus appeared that insurgents suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect had planned to carry out multiple attacks in the city as Muslim faithful celebrate Sallah.

No less than four separates attacks were planned in the city, apparently to set Muslims and Christian worshipers on war path.

Earlier today, the police said it uncovered a Peugeot 406 vehicle parked very close to a mosque in Kano, wired with high calibre explosive device.

T he state commissioner of police Mr. Adenrele Shinaba said the causality figure would have been so alarming had the bomb exploded at a time when tens of thousands of Muslims were observing their Eld-El-Fitr prayer at the Mosque.

“The location of the primed vehicle is close to the Isyaku Rabiu Jumat mosque. The explosive is of high calibre and it was a big one that was primed in the vehicle.

“Their motive is to blow up as many Muslim faithful as possible but to God be the glory, we were able to move round and examined the vehicle, screened it properly and discovered that there are explosives in it.

“So my anti-bomb squad swiftly moved to the area where they quickly detonated it by 1: am and moved the vehicle out of the scene to the Police Headquarters.

But while the police celebrated this mean feat that would have ended up a catastrophe, St. Charles Catholic Church in Sabon gari area was not that lucky, as a bomb was thrown into the church premises immediately after service.

The bomb killed five people including a soldier guarding the premises of the church.

An attacker threw a bomb into the church premises soon after the end of the church service, Police Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said while confirming the attack.

The youths in Sabon Gari quickly mobilized into the street to protest the incessant bomb blast that has been witnessed in the state.

The protest was almost degenerating into a violent clash with some other youths until a detachment of Police and soldiers were sent to the area to quell the uprising.

Elsewhere, around 1pm, a bomb blast was reported around the Nothwest University after a lone female suicide bomber attempted to gain entrance into the university and detonate the bomb she hid in her bag.

According to the Nigeria police, the female estimated to be 16 years of age, was walking suspiciously towards the gate of the university when police guarding the area spotted her, isolated her and called for reinforcement from female police officers adept at handling Muslim females.

The young woman who had a bomb concealed inside her hijab, killed herself by detonating her explosives, five policemen suffered minor injuries.