AFRICA/NIGERIA - The number of victims caused by the attack during Easter increases

Kaduna (Agenzia Fides) – There are 41 victims of a car bomb explosion which took place on Easter Sunday in Kaduna, in north-central Nigeria. The attack has not been claimed, but appears to be the work of the Boko Haram sect, which last Christmas was made responsible for the attack against the church of Santa Teresa, in the suburb of Madalla, in Abuja, the federal capital (see Fides 28/12/2011).
"We had been warned of the possibility of new attacks. But no one knew how and when they would hit us. And therefore we celebrated Easter in peace and tranquility," His Exc. Mgr. Matthew Man-oso Ndagoso, Archbishop of Kaduna told ACS-Italy. The Archbishop said that during the Easter Mass, police stopped a car which was heading directly against the evangelical church in the city. The man driving immediately swerved, but while trying to escape "the car blew up suddenly "also in the vicinity of another church. Among the many victims are taxi drivers on their motorcycle, waiting to accompanying the faithful home and some beggars asking for alms.
According to the reconstruction of the attack which appeared on the Nigerian newspaper "Daily Trust", the driver of the car bomb did not intend to commit a suicide bombing, but park the car bomb near one of the two churches, and then leave. The reaction of the police guards, however, provoked a series of events which ended with the explosion of the car. The writer wonders if one is faced with an action of the sect, or if this "raises the possibility that the bombing was the work of some rogue elements, in or out of government, intent on manipulating the deep sectarian divide in this country for some political gain."(L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 11/4/2012)