A suicide bomber yesterday attacked Saint John's Catholic Church in Bauchi killing two people and injuring dozens others.The attack was the third in two weeks. The first occurred a week ago were nine people were killed in Zango village by unknown gunmen and the killing last Monday of former Comptroller General of Prisons Ibrahim Jarma, who was shot dead together with his orderly after he came out from the mosque near his house in Azare.Deputy Police Public Relations Officer Hassan Mohammed Auyo confirmed the death of two persons and 46 injured.The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said that three people died from the church explosion.A statement signed by NEMA spokesman Yusha'u Shuaibu said apart from the suspected suicide bomber, a woman and a child also lost their lives after the incident.While 22 other injured persons are currently receiving medical treatment in hospital in Bauchi town, he said.The police spokesperson explained that 'when the suicide bomber targeted the church he was prevented access. Instead, he detonated his explosives in the parking lot, killing one person and among the injured victims taken to the hospital a boy between the ages of six to eight died while receiving treatment.'ASP Hassan said the bomber came in Opel Vectra car.Among the injured person there are two policemen deployed to protect the church.An eye witness told Daily Trust correspondent that the bomber tried to gain entrance to the church but when he failed he later detonated his explosives in a car park killing self and a woman, while many people were injured including passers-by.The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Bauchi chapter, Reverend Lawi Pokti confirmed that four people were killed and more than 40 others wounded in the explosion.{loadposition user30}Reverend Pokti said while speaking with newsmen at the church premises in Bauchi. He commiserated with the victims of the blast and prayed to God to bring an end to this devilish act.The CAN chief also called on President Goodluck Jonathan to be courageous enough to address the lingering insecurity in the country.Witnesses said police and Army cordoned the area while rescuers evacuated the victims to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi.A source at the ATBUTH told our correspondent that the hospital received 45 victims and recorded four people died two died while receiving treatment out of the number including 18 male adult, 15 female adult, eight children and four corpses.The source added that the hospital is yet to discharge all the affected victims but the victims with minor injuries will be treated and discharged at the end of review of their status by medical experts.
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