. 28 killed near Abuja. SSS HQ hit in Yobe . Boko Haram claims responsibilityA wave of coordinated bomb attacks yesterday targeted churches during Christmas service near Abuja, in Jos and in Damaturu, leaving at least 28 people dead.Also, three security personnel were killed when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into the headquarters of the State Security Service in Damaturu, Yobe State.Yesterday's coordinated attacks began with a car bomb that exploded with its driver at about 8am at the St Theresa's Catholic Church in Madalla, an Abuja satellite town about 40 km from the centre of the capital, as worshippers were leaving after a morning service.At least 27 people, including two policemen, were killed in the bombing in Madalla, Niger State, witnesses and relief authorities said.Then, a second explosion shortly after hit a church in Jos, where a policeman guarding the church died during gunfire.In Yobe State, two bombs hit the state capital Damaturu, and a third struck Gadaka. One of the bombs was detonated by a suicide bomber who rammed into the SSS office premises as a military convoy was driving in.The Boko Haram sect yesterday claimed responsibility for the coordinated bombings.In Madalla, the impact of the car bomb left a deep crater on the road and tossed the bomb-laden vehicle to the front of the Church. It also destroyed nearby buildings and some sections of the church.The explosives laden-vehicle stopped on the road and two policemen went towards it asking the driver some questions. 'The driver said the vehicle broke down and he should be assisted to push it away from the road. Suddenly the explosives were detonated and both the driver and the policemen were killed. The car was thrown toward the church and sparked fire in other cars nearby,' a witness said.He said the vehicle was moving toward Madalla village from Suleja before it stopped in front of the church. 'It even passed police checkpoint mounted nearby safely,' the witness said.Another witness Nnana Nwachukwu told Reuters news agency, 'Mass just ended and people were rushing out of the church and suddenly I heard a loud sound 'gbam'. Cars were in flames and bodies littered everywhere. The blast occurred on the road by the church and not inside the church. I happen to also live close by the church. Help was very slow in coming to the injured.'Spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Yushau Shuaib also said the blast happened on the road near the church but not inside its premises.The Police Area Commander in Suleja, Creg Esele, said four officers were among the victims of the blast.Senior pastor in the church, Reverend Father Isaac Achi, said the blast occurred while worshippers were leaving the church after service.'Twelve worshippers in three vehicles were instantly killed by the blast and the vehicles were destroyed. Another unidentified body was recovered on the roof of a house adjacent to the church,' he said.A Daily Trust reporter counted 16 vehicles destroyed; three motorcycles damaged; while five nearby homes had their roofing sheets blown away. Shortly after the blast, soldiers from the Presidential Guards' Brigade, policemen and NEMA officials cordoned off the area while a police helicopter hovered around for some minutes and disappeared.Operations officer for NEMA Labaran Aman said they conveyed 25 people to different hospitals around Suleja and later transferred some of them with 'critical cases' to other hospitals.Dr. Ishaku Ma'aji of the Diamond Crest Hospital in Madalla said four people were receiving treatment at the hospital, including a five-year-old girl whose parent could not be found.Thousands of furious youths set up burning road blocks on the highway from Abuja leading to Kaduna. Police and the military tried to disperse them by firing live rounds into the air with tear gas.President Goodluck Jonathan called the incident 'unfortunate' but said Boko Haram would 'not be (around) for ever. It will end one day.'SSS HQ hit, four deadIn Damaturu, a suicide bomber rammed a car loaded with explosives into the SSS headquarters, as violent clashes between security forces and the Boko Haram sect entered its fourth day.The incident happened around 12.45pm, according to spokesperson for the SSS headquarters in Abuja, Marylyn Ogar, who also confirmed in a statement that a suicide bomber executed the attack which killed four people.She said the headquarters 'was attacked by a lone suicide bomber. The incident occurred as the convoy of the Commanding Officer of the 241 Recce Battalion, Nguru, Yobe State, Colonel Dahiru Abdulsalam, was driving into the Headquarters complex for a security meeting.'She said the bomber attempted to force his way into the convoy but was stopped by vigilant guards. 'However, upon collusion with the gate, the impact resulted in an explosion. Consequently three Service personnel and the suicide bomber were killed while one other person was injured. An Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) stationed at the gate was destroyed,' she said.'The attacks will in no way deter security agencies from securing the lives and property of Nigerians and riding the society of criminals. Accordingly, members of the public are hereby implored to report suspicious movements within their localities to the nearest law enforcement agency in the overall effort to rid our Nation of these undesirable elements.'Major streets in Damaturu were deserted while markets and filling stations have closed through out yesterday. 'It is only in the residential quarters that you will see traces of people and activity. Nobody wants to take the risk of moving on the major roads,' resident Mohammed Sani of Buhari Quarters said.A military helicopter which conducted the evacuation of the victims made two runs to Maiduguri, but it was not known what hospital the victims were taken to.In the same Yobe State, a church was bombed at Gadaka in Fika Local Government Area, near Damaturu, when some Christians were having a night vigil on Christmas Eve. Residents said nobody was killed because when the worshipers sensed danger, they fled the church.Policeman killed in JosIn Jos, a policeman guarding the premises of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church near VIO office, off Murtala Muhammed way Jos, was shot by a gang of attackers numbering over 10.Witnesses said attackers came in two batches from two different foot paths behind the church. The first gang shot and killed the policeman who was patrolling the church and the sound of gun shots attracted military men who were stationed at the UTC junction, a few meters away from the church.The first batch of the bombers hurled an explosive which landed on the wall of the church where cars were parked and blew the wall, damaging three parked cars. The second batch abandoned their explosive and ran while firing back at the soldiers in a gun duel that lasted over 30 minutes.A resident of the area, Mr. Ajayi Adeniyi, who witnessed the attack, said the assailants came from two different routes both bush paths linking the church from Rikkos and the other from Gangare.The STF spokesman, Cpt. Charles Ekeocha, confirmed the incident and said the management of the church have not been attending their security meetings otherwise they would have been giving tips on how to block the footpaths.He said it was the timely intervention of the security agents that saved the day as the attackers retreated when they saw they had been over powered.He confirmed that four people have been arrested in connection with the attack saying from there they might be able to get more information to get to the root of the matter.The streets of Jos remained deserted throughout the day as residents ran home on learning of the attack while the presence of security agencies has been intensified.Boko Haram claims responsibilitySpokesman for the Boko Haram, Abul Qaqa, yesterday said his group was responsible for all the Christmas Day attacks across the North. Speaking to journalists on the phone, Abul Qaqa said the attacks were meant to prove that no amount of surveillance by security agents would deter the group from doing whatever they planned to do.'By the grace of God, we are responsible for all the attacks today (Sunday),' he said. 'What we did was a reminder to all those that forgot the atrocities committed against our Muslim brothers during the Eid el-Fitr celebrations in Jos. Many Muslims were killed but the Gederal Government and the international community maintained sealed lips.'There will never be peace until our demands are met. We want all our brothers who have been incarcerated to be released; we want full implementation of the Sharia system and we want democracy and the Constitution to be suspended.
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